THE show did go on for young thespians who put on a cracking show despite a technical hitch. 

Students at the Sir John Colfox Academy put on their annual Colfox Christmas Cracker last week. 

More than 60 students collaborated to produce a show which consisted of performances from the school choir, orchestra, dancers, soloists, groups and showcases from some classes in music and performing arts from Years 7 to 13. There was also an inaugural performance by the new school staff choir. 

The event sold out on the night and an audience of 220 parents, friends and family packed into the hall to enjoy the festivities. Not even an electrical blowout that damaged all of the pre-prepared music and sound could dampen the mood and during an earlier than scheduled interval the technical team did a great job in patching together what was left so the show could go on.

There were 19 acts on the night, and highlights included a group of Year 7 students performing a brilliant extract from Matilda, holding the stage with real presence showing that the future is in very safe hands. Soloists Chairra Sidebottahm, Ellie Taylor and Ryan Williams were in great form and the duet of Rockabye by Chloe Rainey and Vikki Marlow was described as superb by teachers. The orchestra collaborated with Essie Stone in an amusing take on the 12 Days of Christmas and their performance of Fairy Tale of New York was a hit with the audience; violinists Eva Everley and Georgia’s Staal stood out in that performance.

A small group of Year 7 and 8 dancers showed a taster from the 2018 Rock Challenge entry and the school choir really helped the Christmas Mood with A Winters Tale and Merry Christmas Everyone. Before the event started, the audience arrived to the choir singing song around the tree in the entrance.

Year 12 comperes Tom Crabtree and Eve Appleton Scott guided the audience through the evening and also took a turn performing themselves. Thanks went to the Sixth Form for providing refreshments, parent helper Les Keatley leading the lighting, and head of music Brian Hocking for pulling it all together. The proceeds from the evening are being shared by Save the Children and the Sixth Form RAG week fund.