They’re Behind You! Queen Anne’s Staff Stage a Surprise Pantomime

Students at Queen Anne’s School were treated to an unforgettable surprise during Bust Up on Thursday 11 December, when staff staged a top-secret pantomime performance of Cinderella - bursting unannounced into a whole-school assembly.

After weeks of rehearsals, the unsuspecting audience was suddenly interrupted when the Fairy Godmother - played by Co-Head of Drama and director Ms Scott -exploding onto the stage and promptly shooing the Head Girls off!

The pantomime then unfolded to tell the classic story of Cinderella: a young girl mistreated by her evil stepmother (Miss Rutherford) and two ugly stepsisters (Deputy Heads, Mr Stephenson and Mr Towse), who dreams of going to the ball. With help from her Fairy Godmother and the loyal support of her best friend Buttons (Mr Walden), Cinderella (Mrs Marsh) is magically transformed for the evening, complete with a new dress, a carriage created from a pumpkin and a pair of beautiful "glass slippers" (actually a pair of very stylish trainers). However, as everyone knows, the magic can only last until midnight.

Cinderella makes it to the ball, where she meets the Prince (Miss Cox) and the two instantly fall in love. After a hasty departure as the clock strikes twelve, she leaves behind one of her shoes. Determined to find her, the Prince travels through the town, asking every woman to try on the shoe. After failed attempts by the stepsisters (whose very, very, very large feet proved no match) the shoe finally fits Cinderella, and the story ends, as it should, happily ever after.

What followed was a extremely funny, energetic and brilliantly surprising pantomime packed with Queen Anne’s references and classic pantomime jokes!

Staff from across all areas of the school took part, throwing themselves (some quite literally) wholeheartedly into the fun. 

The pantomime ended with a joyful whole-school sing-along to Merry Xmas Everybody by Slade led by Mr Walden. It truely was a high-spirited send-off for the term!

Click here to view the flickr album

#QASStrongSpirits #QASStaff #QASDrama #BustUp