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10 MUSIC
Taal 2018
Friday 16 and Saturday 17 March
saw over 250 pupils from the Thirds
to the Upper Sixth take part in the
annual
Taal
event. With its fusion
of dancing, music and acting,
Taal
is more than just another School
production, it brings a touch of
Bollywood colour and glamour to
Bancroft’s. Over sixteen years it
has grown to become an integral
and much anticipated fixture of our
calendar as well as an important
part of our cultural life. The
event is totally student driven
with members of the Hindu, Sikh,
Buddhist and Muslim Society (HSBM
Society) writing, choreographing
and directing the event. Pupils take
on full responsibility for everything,
from finding sponsorship from local
businesses to sourcing costumes.
Taal
president and U6 pupil, Daffodil Dhayaa,
said how important
Taal
has become to her,
“I’ve been involved in
Taal
since the Thirds,
either through acting or dancing. The most
rewarding part of is seeing the cast grow,
the dances develop and the actors gain
confidence. The sense of accomplishment that
came with seeing the production we had put
together is indescribable.” Daffodil wrote this
year’s
Taal
play, which was a loose modern
day adaptation of
Aladdin
, complete with
Genie, played with exuberance by Thevaguru
Swarnaprabna.
Taal
is a major fund raiser for charities and
this year it supported three charities. United
World Schools is transforming the lives of
some of the poorest and most vulnerable
children in the World through educational
opportunities; money raised will support
Bancroft’s partner school in Cambodia.
Pan Asian Women’s Association provides
education for teenage girls in 32 Asian
countries aiming to lift these girls out of
poverty. SOS Children’s Villages aims to give
orphaned and abandoned children a family,
a community and a future. This year
Taal
raised an incredible £27,000 (twenty seven
thousand pounds) to support these three very
worthwhile causes.
Councillor Linda Huggett, Mayor of Redbridge,
attended he Saturday night’s performance,
which was preceded by an Indian meal
prepared by the Bancroft’s catering team. She
enthused about the evening, “I was so pleased
to have been invited to
Taal
. The students
showed so much talent and enthusiasm and
gave a magical theatrical performance full of
wonderful music and dancing. Cultural events
like this help bring our communities together
and help us celebrate the cultural diversity
which is in the Borough.” Our Head, Mr Simon
Marshall, said that
Taal
was a “wonderful
celebration and a tremendous student-led
effort. It was also a fantastic achievement to
raise so much money for charities.”
Bancroft’s On Broadway
Liv Mayo, L6N
On Friday the 23 February,
members of the Sixth Form,
with help from some extremely
talented members of the lower
years, put on Bancroft’s first
ever Bancroft’s on Broadway.
The event began with a reunion
of some of the cast of last year’s
Sweeney Todd
, with a rousing
rendition of the opening ballad.
That was followed by expertly
performed renditions of musical
theatre songs from a wide range
of different shows. The audience
was treated to a performance of
I
Just Can’t Wait to be King
by three
of our very talented thirds, Alex
Ngassa, Giaan Menger and Amber
Chowdhury, who all performed in
the Prep School production of
The
Lion King
last year. Their musical
excellence and stage presence left
many members of the audience
in awe and were undoubtedly the
favourites of many!
The kaleidoscope of songs, from a joyful
and uplifting rendition of
Mamma Mia!
from our Sixth Formers (clad in fluffy
onesies) to heart-rending performances
of some of Broadway’s most emotional
songs (notably Susannah Bramwell’s
rendition of
Still Hurting
from
The Last
5 Years
) captivated the audience and left
them laughing with joy one minute and
shedding a tear the next. Mr Young’s
fabulous compering helped to ensure that
the event ran perfectly.
The evening was a great success. The
raffle, with prizes from tickets to the West
End production of
Dreamgirls
to £1000
worth of travel vouchers, generated
over £300 from ticket sales. Including
donations to our online fundraiser page,
the total amount raised for two incredible
charities, Cancer Research UK and Young
Minds, exceeded £800 (way over my £100
target). The money raised will help fund
vital work in finding a cure for cancer, and
supporting those working with children in
need of mental health care and support.
On a personal level, directing and
performing in the event was a wonderful
and fulfilling experience and most
importantly it raised a large sum of
money for two charities that are close
to my heart. The evening would not
have been possible without the support
of the very talented Ms Middleton. We
are considering putting on another
production in the next school year, which
I hope will be every bit as successful as
the first.