Daisy Pulls It Off

Review by Vicky Graham (Upper Sixth, Plewlands) and Charlotte Erskine (Upper Sixth, Hopeman)

Daisy Pulls It Off is a comic but affectionate look at a Girls' Public School in the 1930s.

Daisy Meredith has won a scholarship from an Elementary School to study at the very prestigious Grangewood School for Girls. The play is about her first year at the school and the prejudices she faces there as a scholarship girl from a working class family. It is also about the adventures she finds as she looks for hidden treasure, rescues her arch enemy from certain death, plays in the final of the inter-school hockey tournament and is eventually re-united with her long lost father.

It was a really spiffing and smashing yarn that was told on a beautifully created set which emulated the wood panelled hall of Grangewood School by a large cast of Fifth Form students. The students really understood the comic book nature of the play and created wonderfully large and witty portrayals of the students and staff. The female membes of the staff were all played by boys which brought an extra dimension to the show and gave it a real St Trinian's feel. The Headmaster and senior members of Gordonstoun also entered into the spirit of the play by agreeing to be filmed as previous Headmistresses of Grangewood which were projected onto a large ornate picture frame which created a Harry Potter-esque feel to the whole show.

It was certainly an example of a marvellous, theatrically stunning piece of drama and a great deal of hard work shone through. The cast, composed entirely of members of the Fifth Form, showed enthusiasm and dedication throughout a potentially long and complicated story. Emma Barton, playing the lead character, Daisy, was an inspiration to all drama students and, as A-level students, we certainly picked up a few useful tips. Her energy, along with that of the rest of the cast, combined to create a great ensemble piece and gave a very accurate account of how life in Grangewood Girls' School would have really been. It certainly took a few of the older members of the audience down Memory Lane. Speaking about older members of our community, the staff participation provided much comic relief as they exposed a side never seen before.

The story flowed easily and was understood by all with a twist at the end which surprised the audience and gave a fantastic finale. The play was a great deal of fun, we thoroughly enjoyed watching it and look forward to some great performances from these talented young actors in the future.

Well-Done Fifth Form!