Manor House School girls will take centre stage in Leatherhead Operatic Society’s production of The Wizard of Oz.
Head Girl Helen Newhall will be playing the lead role of Dorothy in the iconic musical.
Joining her onstage at the Leatherhead Theatre will be last year’s Head Girl Olivia Snelson plus fellow pupils Clara Grun, Mollie Hannant and Olivia Haines.
Clara, Mollie and Olivia are no strangers to the Leatherhead Theatre, having performed with fellow pupil Georgia White in last year’s production of Annie by the operatic society.
There is a strong link between the girls’ GCSE drama studies at Manor House and their involvement with Leatherhead Operatic Society. Helen, Clara, Mollie and Olivia have all played prominent roles in productions at the school.
In the recent senior school production of The Sound of Music, Helen played the Baroness with Mollie as Maria and Clara as Liesl.
Leatherhead Operatic Society’s forthcoming production of The Wizard of Oz opens on Wednesday December 9 for a four-night run – 7.30pm every night – with an extra 2.30pm matinee on the Saturday.
Manor House School’s Head of Drama Mrs Teresa Williams said: “Drama offers the opportunity for the girls to work as part of a team, to create something and to feel a sense of pride in it.
“It helps them to improve their confidence and communication skills. This is essential in all walks of life.”
She added: “We also allow the girls to take responsibility for the lighting and sound in school productions. If they were at a mixed school they would probably not get that opportunity because these roles are often dominated by the boys.”
Leatherhead Operatic Society has won achievement awards from the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) for the quality of its productions.
Leatherhead Operatic Society Chairman Robert Jordan said: “Although we are an amateur society, we stage professional productions for audiences of between 600 and 650 people.”
He paid tribute to the pupils of Manor House School: “It is vitally important for us to have the support of the youngsters and it is a great opportunity for them.
“I am a firm believer that anybody who has been on stage always benefits from improved communication skills,” he added.
For more information about Manor House School, please contact Marketing Manager Mary Fowell, 01372 458538, mfowell@manorhouseschool.org
For further details about Leatherhead Operatic Society and The Wizard of Oz, please view the website http://www.leatherheadoperaticsociety.co.uk/