Grey Coat Issue 20: February 2012 Work experience at PWC Pantomime


Below is Megan Bird’s account of her time helping out at Aladdin, this year's Pricewaterhouse Coopers' Pantomime. This is the eighth year that a student has been offered this wonderful opportunity.


"Between 21st and 28th January I took part in


the Pricewaterhouse Coopers' Pantomime of Aladdin, doing work experience in departments such as Make Up, Front Of House and Wardrobe, all of which I found really interesting. I took part in three of the shows and helped with last minute costume changes on the day of the dress rehearsal.


On the day of the dress rehearsal, I sewed beads onto black tops for the chorus to wear during one of the dances, as well as unpicking stitches for Princess Jasmine’s trousers! It was really interesting to see how much effort is put into the making of the costumes, as they are all made by people who are, or have worked for PWC. They also have their other job to do as well.


When I helped the Wardrobe department on the first show, I helped the cast change into costume, sometimes in the space of


Front Of House ,which involved helping the children off the school coaches and making sure that they had their snacks during the interval. One of the schools I helped was for blind children. PWC offer a touch tour for them every year which involves them going onto the stage and feeling the set and props, as well as meeting the actors and feeling their costumes making it easier for them to picture the play when they are watching it. I think that this is a really kind thing for PWC to do as it really enhances the children’s enjoyment of the play.


Megan Bird helping out backstage at the PWC Panto


about two minutes, by making sure all the costumes they needed were in the right place, and putting away the costumes they didn’t need. It was quite stressful but I really enjoyed it and it made me realise just how much work everyone puts in backstage.


For the second show, I was helping out


Finally, on my last day, I did Make-Up which was really fun. It involved painting Abanazar’s head black and turning the emperor into an old man by combing his hair with white paint! Overall, the opportunity I had doing work experience with PWC was a very positive experience as it made me appreciate just how much work and effort goes on backstage (and they got me a taxi to and from the theatre!). I would like to thank all the people who made it possible for me to be involved." Megan Bird


5


Debating news


Whilst the Wednesday meetings have continued to be lively sessions covering a variety of topics, the test of the GCH club’s debating skills came on Tuesday 24th


be to propose or oppose until they were actually about to debate. In preparation for the


January. This was the first


round of the Urban Debate League at Hammersmith Academy where the girls would be debating against pupils from the host school, Hurlingham & Chelsea School, Sion-Manning, Westminster Academy and/or Chelsea Academy.


On 9th


January schools had been notified of the motion, ‘This House Would Legalise Euthanasia’, though teams would not know whether their role would


competition, 8 of the debating squad


delivered speeches at a Year 9 Assembly on the 18th


.


At the actual event, one GCH team


was instructed to propose whilst the


other team was directed into opposition. Both teams were delighted to win and then the teams had 10 minutes to prepare for the impromptu motion, ‘This House Would Introduce an 8pm Curfew for Under-16 year olds’. There was further joy as both teams were again judged to have secured a higher score than their different opponents. This success should be a boost to confidence when the girls face the second round in March.


Ms McMellan


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