In 2009 somebody had the bright idea that Harrogate Brigantes Rotary could put on a production starring local primary school children. This wasn’t to be a church hall or school hall job. This was to be the big time. It was going to be in Harrogate’s Royal Hall, that monument to Edwardian splen-dour, newly refurbished and lavishly gilded.
That was seven productions ago. They’ve varied in content over the years. Some have featured ‘songs from the shows’. Some have had a theme – such as “Kids in the Limelight” which featured musicals about children. Others have been specially written such as the last one, ‘Monkey Boy’. It was based on a Nepalese folk tale which was particularly apt since we flew forty Nepalese children and their teachers over here to take part and to have a couple of weeks staying in this wonderful part of England. It was an experience they will never forget.
This year Guy Wilson, a member of Brigantes who wrote ‘Monkey Boy’, has done it again with ‘The Last Dragon’. This tells the story of how the kingdom of Rubovernia falls on hard times when the royal family is ousted, the dragons who guard the realm are wiped out and evil spreads over the land. But, tarraa, help is at hand. Deep in a cave a single dragon has survived and he’s discovered by two children, Pip and Ella, who may not be all they seem. In a world fraught with danger and some very nasty people, they set out to right a wrong. But can they do it? (Actually, yes they can but don’t tell everybody!)
Guy and composer Roland Fudge have been hard at work for months now, going round some of the 13 primary schools, working with the children and their teachers, getting ideas for the music and the words. So the children not only perform on the stage of the Royal Hall, but they’ve had a hand in composing the songs. And that’s not all. Guy has written a book to accompany the show and it’s full of marvellous illustrations also courtesy of the children. You can pick up a copy from one of our excel-lent local independent bookshops – Imagined Things in Harrogate or The Little Bookshop in Ripon.
There will be a different cast of two hundred on each of the two nights of the production, so a huge total cast of four hundred drawn from (number) local schools. They are:
• All Saints Church of England Primary School, Kirby Overblow
• Aspin Park Community Primary School, Knaresborough
• Bilton Grange Primary School, Harrogate
• Dacre Braithwaite Church of England Primary School, Summerbridge
• Grove Road Community Primary School, Harrogate
• North Rigton Church of England Primary School, North Rigton
• Pannal Primary School, Pannal, Harrogate
• St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Harrogate
• St Robert’s Catholic Primary School, Harrogate
• Sharow Church of England Primary School, Sharrow
• Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School, Skelton-on-Ure
• Richard Taylor Church of England Primary School, Harrogate
• Rossett Acre Primary School, Harrogate
Our main aim is to give all these local children the experience of standing on the stage and looking out at a full house. Any money that’s left will help to fund the next ‘Kids Aloud’ or go towards some of the many good causes we support. We’re used to filling the Royal Hall on both nights and to do that again we need your help!
The show is on 1st and 2nd April at 6.30pm at the Royal Hall. Tickets (£15, under 17s £5) are available from:
Harrogate Box Office, Harrogate Theatre, Oxford Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 1QF
Online at: www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk
By phone: 01423 502116
By email: bookings@harrogatetheatre.co.uk
We’d also like to thank the following local businesses for supporting the concert: Bartlett Wealth Man-agement Ltd, EnviroVent Ltd, Harrogate Spring Water, Oakdale Golf Club, Rudding Park Estate Ltd, Rudding Park Hotel, Smiths of Harrogate and Verity Frearson.
See you there!
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