Onatti lands back at Stanborough with its new play ‘A ticket into space!’
Miss Siddiqui, Curriculum Leader: Modern Foreign Languages, writes:
As is our annual tradition, the Year 8 students welcomed back the Onatti theatre group and their play “le ticket en espace”. Yes, the play has a french title because the play was going to be performed in French! As you can imagine, some Year 8 students were immediately sceptical about understanding the play, let alone enjoying it! However, not to be defeated I was about to prove them very wrong!!
The play centres around an American student who wins a competition to go to space in a rocket. He finds that he is accompanied by a French student who has also won a place on the trip but unfortunately for him, she does not speak a word of English! Hence, problems ensue not least when they find themselves stuck on a planet 65,000 miles from Earth! (please suspend all reality for a while!)
However, I have to admit that the star of the play in this instance was not the extra terrestrial monster which appeared but Stanborough’s very own Year 8 student Toby Harvey. The cast had requested a helper and Toby had enthusiastically volunteered his services. I have to say, that in my opinion, Toby stole the show. In fact, some teachers watching the play thought that Toby was part of the play itself!! He threw himself fully into the role, using his French to communicate and a lot of acting skills as the rocket took off and then later landed with a jolt! The Year 8s in the audience thoroughly enjoyed watching their class mate in the play, as did Toby by the look of things. He was such a credit to the school. In fact, I was delighted to see such an engrossed audience as they watched the story unfold.
As I informed the students, this is the eleventh year we have invited Onatti back to perform to the Year 8 students due to its regular and ongoing success. I think I can safely say that this tradition will carry on for a long time yet after the rapturous response received today!
But don’t take my word for it. Here are a few student reviews:
“I totally loved the Onatti group’s performance. Especially because the French was clear and it was so easy to understand the concept of the story. In all, it was a great performance and it will help future Year 8s at Stanborough with their French.” James Flint 8H
“I loved the play because of the interaction with the audience and it was very funny!” Jed Graham 8BP
“I thought the play was hilarious and interesting.” Thomas Linger 8H
“The play was good fun.” Joseph Young 8BP
“The play was very funny and we could understand what was happening very clearly. We liked that it included people from the audience.” Reece Taylor 8A, Alex O’Carroll 😯 & Lewis Sutherland 8A