Billy Elliot the Musical
Commonweal are famous for the Arts and like to stretch students’ ability to the maximum. They learn transferable skills such as team building and confidence. Every other year they produce a West End musical. This year the school staged the much loved Billy Elliot from 23rd – 25th November. The three nights were completely sold out and the folk that came to see it couldn’t sing its praises enough!
“Wow! What an amazing week we have had here at Commonweal. A production of Billy Elliot is no mean feat and we pulled it off! Staff and students need to be praised for their talent, hard work and dedication over the last two months – it absolutely paid off as we shared the dance, music and drama with a packed house for three nights running. Over 90 students were involved and they all approached the production in a very professional manner.
With so much pressure on the school to continue to get outstanding exam results and improve student’s learning and progress, it is a difficult task for staff and students to find the time required to dedicate to a whole school production as well. After some analysis of exam results from this Summer, we were pleased to discover that students in Year 11 who took part in XPA extra-curricular activities, did better overall in their exams than those students who did not take part in XPA opportunities! This just helps to emphasise the importance of the Arts in today’s education and we thank you as parents, family and friends for supporting the students here at Commonweal. The skills developed within the arts are transferrable to so many walks of life – nobody wants to hear a presentation from a monotonous voice, or see an unanimated person trying to convey an important message to their colleagues. Confidence gained in these areas will bode well for the future of Commonwealians,” said Ali Sutcliffe, Head of Performing Arts.
“Billy Elliot simply could not be done without such amazing guidance, direction and support from our talented teachers. So, to say they're helpful would be an understatement! We have two fantastic drama teachers in Miss Birkbeck and Miss Stimpson who are always offering new and innovative perspectives on how to portray our characters. We also have Mrs Sutcliffe and Mrs Driver, who are always encouraging us to sing to the best of our abilities. Miss Bowden never fails to create such unique and stunning choreography. And of course there are numerous other members of staff who support the whole cast through the rehearsal process that shouldn't be forgotten,” Ben Lancaster who plays the part of Tony, Billy Elliot’s brother.
“Wow! What an amazing week we have had here at Commonweal. A production of Billy Elliot is no mean feat and we pulled it off! Staff and students need to be praised for their talent, hard work and dedication over the last two months – it absolutely paid off as we shared the dance, music and drama with a packed house for three nights running. Over 90 students were involved and they all approached the production in a very professional manner.
With so much pressure on the school to continue to get outstanding exam results and improve student’s learning and progress, it is a difficult task for staff and students to find the time required to dedicate to a whole school production as well. After some analysis of exam results from this Summer, we were pleased to discover that students in Year 11 who took part in XPA extra-curricular activities, did better overall in their exams than those students who did not take part in XPA opportunities! This just helps to emphasise the importance of the Arts in today’s education and we thank you as parents, family and friends for supporting the students here at Commonweal. The skills developed within the arts are transferrable to so many walks of life – nobody wants to hear a presentation from a monotonous voice, or see an unanimated person trying to convey an important message to their colleagues. Confidence gained in these areas will bode well for the future of Commonwealians,” said Ali Sutcliffe, Head of Performing Arts.
“Billy Elliot simply could not be done without such amazing guidance, direction and support from our talented teachers. So, to say they're helpful would be an understatement! We have two fantastic drama teachers in Miss Birkbeck and Miss Stimpson who are always offering new and innovative perspectives on how to portray our characters. We also have Mrs Sutcliffe and Mrs Driver, who are always encouraging us to sing to the best of our abilities. Miss Bowden never fails to create such unique and stunning choreography. And of course there are numerous other members of staff who support the whole cast through the rehearsal process that shouldn't be forgotten,” Ben Lancaster who plays the part of Tony, Billy Elliot’s brother.