14 November 2023
Rehearsals are well underway for the brand-new musical, Palm Paradise. Over 50 students auditioned for the roles within the cast in December 2018 and every student who auditioned has a place in the production. The excited cast have been busy learning lines, choreography and songs in preparation for the production taking place for two nights only on 29th and 30th April 2019.
Palm Paradise follows the stories of 4 groups of people and how they are affected by current environmental crises today and in the future. The show emerged following inquiry from the students about palm oil after seeing a controversial TV advert by Iceland centered around the destruction of rainforests for the production of palm oil.
The production creatively weaves in the plight of the Orangutans in Indonesia via what appears as a wartorn era, where a family of 5 struggles to live day to day in fear of impending violence and starvation. Another story takes place in the future, where the pollution has led to shorter lifespans and a rather adventurous way of life. The show is an IB response to international mindedness and globalization, we are proud that our students were so passionate about this current global issue and we are grateful to our Drama Teacher, Ms. Katrina Clark, who wrote the musical following the school’s interest in the topic.
This production will be the world premiere of the show and is the fourth show that Ms. Clark has written, with one of her shows currently on the way to being published. Ms. Clark, along with our music teacher, Mr. Lee Clark, are in a band named “twenty six times” and have co-written some of the original songs which will feature in the musical.
The choreography is led by the talented Gaia Lucchini, a mother of three Dwight School Dubai students who is working closely with Ms. Clark towards a slick show with lots of energy and creativity. Ms. Vergis is leading the team of students who are creating the props and set and are aiming to create as much of this from recycled materials as they can. Ms. Lee and Ms. Anduze are assisting rehearsals and helping students learn lines, choreography and lyrics, while Mr. Clark will be operating the sound.
Students from across the school have been entering a competition to design the poster for the production, which will be shared with the community once the winner has been chosen by the Art and Drama departments.
The school has received technical guidance to create the show in the heart of the school, the main atrium. Although in the past this may have presented some production challenges, the team has been working incredibly hard to overcome these challenges and the show promises to be a unique and theatrical experience in many ways.
Palm Paradise is set to open on the 29th of April, with a strictly limited two-night run! Tickets will be available for purchase in March and will be limited to 150 per night. Parents are advised to purchase tickets as soon as possible to ensure a seat at the production.
