Two sisters from Newfield Park Primary Academy in Halesowen took to the stage together in a production of The Lion King, with one of them taking on her first ever leading role.
Clara played leading character Simba in the production through the performing arts academy, Stagecoach, learning an impressive 48 lines for the part. She delivered her lines with confidence, clarity and enthusiasm as she took on the challenge of leading the performance.
Her sister, Elise, also featured in the production as Zazu, the loyal and often humorous hornbill bird who serves as an advisor to Simba’s family, sharing scenes with Clara on stage and giving both sisters an opportunity the opportunity to perform together.
Reflecting on her experience, Clara said: “It was so much fun – I really liked learning the lines and singing the songs.”
Elise also embraced her character, adding: “I liked to roar and I liked to sing.”
Taking part in the production gave both pupils the chance to develop their performance skills while also building confidence, creativity and resilience through acting, singing and dancing.
Stagecoach has more than 35 years’ experience in performing arts education and supports children and young people through classes designed to develop skills both on and off the stage. Its programmes include singing, dancing and acting, alongside opportunities to develop confidence, communication, resilience and creativity.
School Principal, Steve Payne, commented: “Opportunities like this matter because children learn so much about themselves when they step outside their usual classroom experiences. Both sisters had worked together towards a shared goal and had the courage to perform in front of a live audience.
“Those experiences help children become more confident, persevere when something may be challenging and learn to recognise what they can achieve when they put their minds to it. As a school, we were proud to celebrate Clara and Elise because their success on stage was also part of their wider development as confident, capable young people.”
Newfield Park Primary Academy congratulated both pupils on their performances and the commitment they had shown throughout the production.
