BY SOPHIE AND CARLOTTA

This week the newest summer show dropped right in front of our eyes. From dogs to penguins, the show took us around the world on a journey through Antarctica with a flash of 90s music and Hamilton mixes thrown into the icy waters. And to my surprise the Year 4s produced a smooth, engaging and dynamic performance.

The Mog Chronicle team studied Ernest Shackleton last year so we already learnt about his famous life and the trials and tribulations he went through on his expedition. But this show really bought it to life and showed the essence of what the intrepid explorer went through. 

Some stand out moments were when two disgruntled actors repeated the lines: “Why is it always men, uhh?” and “Why is it always dogs, uhh?” in a humorous manner. We also enjoyed Shackleton writing his diary entry about the dogs. Actor Solly delivered this reflectively and with a touch of remorse perfectly. Animals also played an important part. The dogs running through the audience was a great director’s decision and they had fantastic barks!

The illustrator, played by Ivy aboard the ship Endurance, acted to perfection as she tried to draw the penguins as they waddled from left to right. This showed each and every student put great work into their individual characters to make it full of detail. 

The costumes were well thought out and precise with ski goggles, fur coats, drawn on beards and 3D dog snouts. They hadn’t quite thought through the obstacle of 23 degrees heat, but well done for not fainting! 

The music in this show was iconic. We collected a survey of the most popular songs based off our own favourites which were: Chill Chill Shackleton, Lev’s Solo, Fresh Prince of Antarctica, Wannabee and Wet Old Sea. The winner was Chill Chill Shackleton, closely followed by Lev’s solo. Chill Chill Shackleton was an earworm for everyone, we are singing this as we write this … “Antarctica hero Shackleton, Chill Chill Shackleton, Explorer of the icy realms!” Lev’s solo was amazing, heartfelt and he was incredibly brave to go up on the stage in front of the whole school with a song which he wrote all by himself! 

The show was full of surprises and when all the actors put on their sunglasses, they really looked and acted like the ultimate rap team. Well done to the incredible teachers – Ms. Ellie on the tech, Ms. Amy giving cues and some great song lyrics, Ms. Georgia on the script, Mr. Patrick because this play was his brainchild and he played the guitar (as always) … and extra credit again goes to Lev on his solo writing and performance skills! Year 4 kids you guys rocked the stage! 

Next week it’s the Year 5s up and the Year 2s will be critiquing and reviewing our show. So do stay tuned and keep checking our website to read their review.

The Mog Chronicle scored an exclusive interview with the writers of the show – Ms. Georgia and Mr. Patrick:

Mog Chronicle: What is your play based on? 

Ms. Georgia: Ernest Shackleton, the Antarctica explorer who was away for two whole years and managed to get all of his team back home and safe without losing any of them.

Mr. Patrick: You probably remember it from last year!? 

Mog Chronicle: How did you come up with it?

Mr. Patrick: We were inspired by our visit to the James Curd at Dulwich College. We just thought we have to share his story with a wider audience. 

Ms. Georgia: And the children really enjoyed it as one of their topics, so they were super enthusiastic! 

Mog Chronicle: What’s your favourite song from the play?

Both: We love “Chill, chill Shakleton!”

Mog Chronicle: Like “Ice Ice Baby”? 

Both: YES!

Mog Chronicle: Did you feel prepared for the show?

Ms. Georgia: The children have worked very hard. It has been a challenging few weeks, however they have put in a lot of effort and we are really excited to show it off to the whole school.

Mog Chronicle: If you had to describe the show in five words, what would they be? 

Ms. Georgia: Sunglasses 

Mr. Patrick: Penguins 

Ms. Georgia: 90s 

Mr. Patrick: Exploration 

Ms. Georgia: Shackleton! 

Mog Chronicle: Do you feel proud about the Year 4s hard work?

Ms. Georgia: ALWAYS. They are absolutely amazing. So much of what they done have come from them! We are very, very excited 

Mr. Patrick: Indeed it is their show!

Mog Chronicle: Why did you add Hamilton? 

Ms. Georgia: Ms. Ellie and I are massive Hamilton fans so there may be some sound bites you may recognise! 

Mr. Patrick: That was part of the inspiration. 

Ms. Georgia: They have both been on similar journeys, there are parallels between them. 

Mog Chronicle: Who wrote the play? 

Ms. Georgia: It was Mr. Patrick’s brain child but we have all been collaborating together to make it work.