Pictures: ‘Grease’ is the one that they want at Scoil Mhuire Kanturk

STUDENTS from first year to Leaving Cert at Scoil Mhuire in Kanturk cast off their school uniforms to don their 1950s’ leather jackets and high school skirts to raise the roof at a rip-roaring last night of musical magic recently.

According to Scoil Mhuire principal, Denis Keating, the performance of the musical Grease on the night created a ‘magical atmosphere’ in the school and he described it as the highlight of the 15 years he has been teaching in the north Cork academy.

Preparations for the musical had begun in early October and the school had been a hive of activity as students and teachers alike gave up their free time to build and paint sets, practice dance sequences and get ready to perform for the three night run which packed out the school auditorium.

“We make it a whole school activity and that’s part of the logic of why we do it, it’s very much a bringing together of staff, parents and students, and then students across the different year groups, so that we build sense of togetherness and community,” said Mr Keating.

“We make an effort to make it as ‘in-house’ as possible and teachers give up a significant amount of their free time, weekends included, to build the sets, doing the lighting and taking on the role of musical director.” He paid tribute to the spirit of volunteerism which, he said, was very much alive in his school. “Thankfully I’m very fortunate as I have a staff here who step up to the plate and deliver on that score.” There were 56 students from the 300-pupil academy on stage during the three-night run and many more working behind the scenes to get the production ready and to help on the nights of the performances selling tickets and programmes.

Macdara Neenan played the role of Danny while Eabha O’Carroll was Sandy for the musical and their performances in the show, for which Cáitríona McNamara was musical director with Sharon McCarthy assisting, earned rapturous applause from the packed houses each night.

The school stages a musical once every two years — such is the effort that goes into it — but Principal Keating regards it as well worth the effort in terms of the life skills the students learn during their involvement.

“There are life skills that they will take from being involved in this production — for some of them, they didn’t get the part they auditioned for, there’s learning in that, some of them mucked up when they were rehearsing, they learned from that, some of them learned they had to work hard, they have to practice, learn and, then, on the night, they have to go out and perform,” said the principal. “Each and every one of the skills they learn in the sphere of the musical is directly transferable to other aspects of life, including their exams.”

The curtain has come down on the musical for another year and now students and teachers will be anticipating its return in two years time.