Parktown High School for Girls impressed audiences with their production of Stepsisters, a spoof of Cinderella, from 8–12 April.
The musical production, based on a book by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus, takes a look at the famous fairy tale story from the perspective of Cinderella’s the not-so-evil stepsisters.
Head of drama at Parktown Girls and director of the production, Meghan van Lelyveld said she selected the production because it was a bigger musical that could be put on with an all-female cast. “It’s lots of fun, full of catchy music and a contemporary South African references.
“The cast is ridiculously phenomenal. I saw some shy girls grow in confidence and really blossom on stage. The girls put a lot of time and effort into this because they love acting. This makes them shine on stage and grow in their abilities.”
Grade 10 learner Tallulah Baty, who plays the stepsister, Drew said, “This production has shown me a new perspective on the classic fairy tale. Things are not always as they appear… Characterisation was the toughest part of this role since the character I play is very similar to my personality, but I sought to overcome this challenge by enhancing the differences on stage.”
Annabel Nyongwana, also in Grade 10, who takes on the role of stepsister Beth, said she enjoyed the confidence of the character she portrayed. “I got to do cool things in the play like scream and shout, which is not normal for me because I’m not a very energetic person. I got to step away from my usual self and have fun with the dramatic.”
Grade 8 learner Saffiyya Gules confidently took on the role of the evil character Victoria. “Being in this play has taught me to articulate, project my voice and enhance my facial expressions. It has been particularly challenging to make myself a loveable evil character.”
Stepsisters had audience members singing along and laughing at the feel-good musical.
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Watch as Parktown Girls bring a twist on the famous Cinderella story
