After the disappointment of cancelling the production in 2020, Culcheth High School finally got its musical moment. And, judging by the sell-out crowds, We Will Rock You New Vision was very much worth the wait.
Across three performances, students delivered 24 Queen classics between the acted scenes, with dazzling costumes, special effects and enough energy to make even the most reluctant toe-tapper join in. We Will Rock You, Somebody to Love, Radio GaGa and We Are the Champions had audiences singing, stomping and generally behaving as though Wembley had relocated to Culcheth.
The surprise encore of Bohemian Rhapsody brought the audience to its feet, arms waving and voices enthusiastically attempting the more ambitious vocal gymnastics. The show was a complete sell-out, which is a fairly decisive review from the local community.
Amanda Crann, from Culcheth High, said the cast received standing ovations on all three evenings, alongside countless positive reviews from local people.
The production took 12 weeks of preparation, with staff, cast and crew giving up lunchtimes, evenings and weekends. Miss Longden, Head of Drama and Choreographer, and Mr Morris, Facilities Manager and Technical Director, led the effort. That is an impressive amount of unpaid graft, and the polished result showed it.
The school also had to work around Covid disruption and safety measures, after the original production was cancelled in 2020. Despite those obstacles, Culcheth High was determined that the show would go on in 2021. Sensible, really - after months of grim headlines, the village could certainly use some theatrical noise.
Culcheth High said it was immensely proud of everyone involved, praising the students for demonstrating the school values of respect, honesty and excellence. On this evidence, they also demonstrated stamina, confidence and a healthy disregard for sitting quietly when there is a Queen chorus available.
The report was written by Gareth Dunning and appeared with an exclusive subscriber partnership involving USA Today and its sister title, alongside a disclaimer that it did not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald.