Smithy! - Matamata College, New Zealand

I have directed Smithy! three times and it never fails. It is very easy to stage with a simple set and costumes and it contains plenty of good meaty roles that students are able to perform with conviction. The show has always attracted very good houses – the audience loves the humour and the catchy music and the show builds brilliantly towards the climactic balcony and fire scene. This year we probably could have run more performances, such was the demand for tickets.
The other reason the show works is that the students love performing it. The roles are ones that they can identify with and they seem to enjoy the humour of the basic situation of a mischievous egotistical student who wreaks havoc with the school production of Romeo and Juliet. The chorus can be as big as can be managed on stage and it has a variety of roles to play and enough time on stage to keep them interested and involved. The choreography can be as simple or as complex as the director wants and the students enjoy singing the music from the show.
The music is a good challenge to the students but is very manageable and the students enjoy playing it.
Glenn Rowsell. Principal.