Just 95 days ago, the young cast and crew of ‘Annie – The Musical’ performed their third and final night at Cwmbran High School.
I was there for the opening night of Annie– and was there for the opening night of Legally Blonde last Monday.
The number of things I’ve procrastinated about and failed to finish or even start in those three months is embarrassing. And yet, this group of pupils have worked their socks off to put on another stunning production in that short space of time- learning lines, supporting each other, the songs, singing with a head mic, dancing, props, stage movement, costumes, staging, lighting- the list goes on and probably includes lots of laughs and a few tears along the way.
Elle Woods is a bubbly, pink‑loving girl who’s dumped by her boyfriend Warner Huntington III and decides to follow him to Harvard Law School. She discovers she’s far more capable than anyone expects. Elle soon proves her intelligence, solves a major court case, and learns to believe in herself rather than chasing someone else’s idea of who she should be.
Friendships for life
It’s a story of confidence, friendship, and self‑belief- three things that young people need more than ever- and Elle and the cast showed it last night both on – and I’m sure- off the stage. Experiences like this in school build friendships for life.
I loved the use of two giant mobile phones (Big TVs on their side) that hung on either side of the stage. They were vital props for the clever storytelling and movement between scenes. TikTok, Instagram, Messenger, Live Videos, Breaking News and even a popular dating app were used on these phones with text, photos and videos for great comic-timing- and for evidence during Elle’s court case, where her post-perm care knowledge set Brooke Wyndham free.
Pink was the theme- during the interval when the lights came up, I spotted several audience members in pink: a woman with a top that said PINK!, a man in a pink tie-dye shirt, a woman in a pink dress, and a man in a (salmon) pink t-shirt.
I didn’t realise pink existed in so many shades. The shift in atmosphere on Elle’s arrival in Harvard was stark with a clever colour shift. Her world of pink became beige, cream and brown.
Irish dancing
The colour flip to green and some great Irish dancing during a scene with Paulette, Elle’s kind and warm-hearted hairdresser, was fab and funny. And Brooke’s fitness class in prison must have taken some rehearsing- you can’t act those skipping skills- perfect!
Professor Callahan’s inappropriate pass at Elle was a brief, dark moment- before Emmett Forrest and Paulette’s support and advice got Elle’s focus back on the murder trial.
The mic-drop perm evidence on the photo was brilliant and led us into the closing scenes where Elle steps into her future with the cast reuniting on stage for what I can only describe as a big, joyful pink‑powered finish.
I’ve also got to mention the sound design. This is everything you hear- not just the songs from stage. It was so impressive and added so much to the emotions I felt sitting in the audience.
Another nice touch was the interval raffle with members of the school’s pupil leadership drawing the winning tickets- with donations supporting their charity choice- the local St David’s Hospice Care, whose logo and colour palette is…yes, you guessed it, pink.