The Ash Girl

Queen Anne’s School senior students took to the stage last week to present a striking production of The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker.

A dark and compelling reimagining of the Cinderella story, The Ash Girl strips away fairy-tale fantasy, examining themes of identity, trauma and resilience, reflecting on the importance of finding one’s voice and sense of self.

The story followed Ash Girl (Pippa, U6), living in the shadows of her sisters (Olivia, L6 & Sienna, L6), step mother (Mya, L6) and distant father. Ash Girl is haunted by personified manifestations of the Seven Deadly Sins - Pride (Charlotte, U5) , Envy (Zuzanna, U6), Sloth (Izzy, U5), Anger (Julika, U5), Greed (Mia, L5), Gluttony (Emily, U5) and Lust (Clemmie, U5) - who seek to undermine her sense of self-worth. Along with Sadness (Ava, U6), who desperately tries to break her down.

Guided by the Fairy (Molly, U6), who urges her towards self-belief and resilience, and her forest friends, the mice (Charlotte, L5 & Francesca, L5), otter (Tia, U5) and the wise owl (Clemmie, U5), Ash Girl must confront these inner demons and learn to reclaim her identity, confidence and hope.

Meanwhile, the Prince (Katrina, L6) is facing his own demons. Pressured by his formidable mother, the Queen, (Ellie, U6) and his pragmatic right-hand man, Paul,(Zara, L6) he is encouraged to abandon the idea of love and simply choose any suitable woman in the kingdom to secure his future. Caught between duty and desire, the Prince must decide whether to conform to expectation or risk vulnerability in pursuit of something genuine with the girl who fits the shoe.

This year’s Senior Production was a testament to the hardwork  of the Drama department at Queen Anne’s School. From the cast to the backstage and technical teams (Lala, L6, Phoebe, U6 & Sofia, L6) students showed creativity and dedication throughout the rehearsal process and performances.

A big thank you to Ms Scott who not only directed the production but supported the students every step of the way.

Click here to view the Flickr Album of the performance

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