Emil and The Detectives

Almost forty of our L4, Thirds and Removes took part in this year’s Lower School production, Emil and the Detectives adapted by Carl Miller from Erich Kästner’s classic children’s novel.

Young Emil, played with considerable aplomb by Kyril Borzenko-Yeremenko, sets off from his sleepy Neustadt home for the excitement of Berlin. His mother Ida, Emilia Hitching in a well observed and mature performance, tells him to be careful of the money she has worked hard to save for his grandmother.  On the train to Berlin, Emil meets the mysterious and sinister Mr Snow (confidently played by Luis Black) who relieves Emil of the money!  Berlin proves to be an inhospitable and frightening place for Emil, but he joins with his cousin Pony the Hat (Georgia Moncur) and the local children led by Toots (an irrepressible Ben Hughes) to retrieve the stolen cash.

A magnificent ensemble cast, well directed and keeping the audience enthralled at all times. Whilst the play was very entertaining it had a very profound message within it; that one should never dismiss young people and their ideas.

Marwan Mikdadi, Deputy Head 

The play had originally been performed at the National Theatre, at Bancroft’s, devoid of the NT’s resources and staging capabilities, directors Helen Gartland and Karen Rogers opted for a simple staging in the PAC allowing the strength of the children’s acting capabilities to tell the story as the audience was taken from Neustadt to various locations in Berlin.

The large cast threw themselves into the action and the play was well received by audiences.  Another dramatic success for Bancroft’s.

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