There was a scandal in Junior School as pupils suspected a spy amongst them, with all concerns becoming clear as they unravelled the mystery in their wonderful performance on Monday evening.
Treachery at Traitors’ Quay
In a bid to escape WWII, the five Dawson children are evacuated to the home of Eggin-Drake in Treachery at Traitors’ Quay – performed by The Mount Junior School KS2 Performing Arts Club. The girls sang, danced and acted before a truly astounded audience, who could not hide their amazement at the production before them.
The team of dedicated staff and talented actors worked tirelessly to ensure the performance was seamlessly executed, thinking of everything from the lighting and stage direction, to the variety of props and even pre-recorded film reels to be shown throughout the narrative.
The play was split into six cine-reel introduced scenes, with entertainment, talent and comedy in equal measure across each act. The opening number introduced the audience to the evacuation from Paddington Station and transported them to the countryside, where they became acquainted with a number of interesting, unique and beautifully-cast characters. The dramatis personae ranged from the concerned and helpless families of the evacuee children, to the somewhat anxious Eggin Drake (a man who likes his information don’t you know), to the rather dodgy Sergeant Wheeler and Corporal Dealer! As suspicions began to arise, it was down to two young city dwellers, Duggie and Billy to take on detective roles and solve the case in a classic whodunnit tale.
Cast
The London Families
Mrs Dawson – Louise
Duggie – Isabelle
Josie – Hope
Lizzie – Izzy
Auntie Peg – Jessica
Billy – Hannah
Miss Albright – Clemmie
The Eggin-Drakes
Eggin Drake – Ella
Etta – Lorelei
Hennie – Catherine
Duccie – Eliza
Employees
PC Lovham – India
Mr Mulch – Phoebe
Mr Parker – Agnes
HM Grogg – Melanie
The Land Girls
Lily – Eleanor
Daisy – Daisy Mae
Other Villagers
Captain Kitchener – Edith
Private Jolly – Ida
Private Jape – Susannah
Sergeant Wheeler – Tiff
Corporal Dealer – Nora
Air Raid Wardens – Venus, Laila & Vakare
With special mention & thanks also to the sheer genius of:
Melanie Burr and Jan Wilson
“All the parents comment on how professional it all is, everything from the set design to the fact that you can put on a production like this with this age group, not just what is on the stage, but the filming and the lighting also. A huge thank you, we really do appreciate everything you do for this production and the children do too.” – Miss Capper, Head of Junior School congratulates Miss Wilson and Mrs Burr.
Ahead of the evening’s performance, Head of Junior School, Miss Capper oversaw the final rehearsal. Keen to ensure any last minute preparation went ahead and to offer the girls some words of encouragement, she reassured, “For a dress rehearsal that is fantastic, everything you just did, plus a little bit more – which I know you always do on the night is what I want to see. Raise the bar even higher, go for it! Enjoy every single moment and think about how hard you have worked for this because I know that you have. The hours that you have put into this, the teachers and everyone will all be so proud.”
Mount Junior pupils in Key Stage 1 were lucky enough to attend the dress rehearsal earlier in the day where they were equally as impressed as they watched on in awe.
“I liked everything the best, all the singing” – Hattie, Year 1
Well done to everyone involved in the production, and to those who worked extremely hard to put on such a memorable and entertaining show!
View the full Treachery at Traitors’ Quay Gallery
Following the performance it was announced that the retiring collection for the evening was to raise money for UNICEF Ukraine Appeal. Thank you to those who kindly donated on the night, anyone wishing to contribute may still donate here via the UNICEF website.