On Saturday, November 26, I had the pleasure of attending the first showing of Raglan Theatre Academy’s adaptation of Harry Potter. The hour-and-a-half show was directed by Ruth Hare, props by Amy Hanna and all costumes were designed by Maddie Alexander.
Four sold-out shows were run over the weekend showing the popularity of the Academy’s yearly show!
Taking on such an iconic and well-represented story can’t be an easy task – but the Raglan Theatre Academy managed to embed twists and turns throughout the story and work their Raglan magic on the piece – which clearly paid off. The amount of work that went into the performance was evident, with every detail being executed with quality and thought.
The costumes and props within the show were once again exceptional, with even a moving car included in the performance! Unfortunately, it was Alexander’s last year designing costumes for the Theatre Academy, which she had done for the previous seven years. The amount of experience Alexander has with costume making and designing shone through- with many costumes being so realistic that it was easy to forget that there was a student underneath! From Harry to Dobby – every character was spot on.
The acting in the performance was terrific especially considering I attended the first public showing. The number of characters within the performance was commendable, with the stage full of actors on the curtain call. The age diversity of the actors was also admirable; the actors’ interactions with each other made the differences practically unnoticeable until reflection! Having attended previous academy performances, it is clear how they get more professional and compelling each year.
The size of the Raglan Theatre Academy reflects the excellent work that Ruth Hare does with students, who all seem to thoroughly enjoy being part of the Academy. We previously met with director Ruth Hare and costume designer Maddie Alexander in the November edition of the Local Rag to chat pre-performance. Hare noted that some leading characters were in their 7th or 8th year of the Theatre Academy. This was shown through the skill and confidence of these actors, who have developed so much in such a positive environment!
In summary, the show exceeded all of my expectations. Everyone involved in the performance should be proud, as all of the hard work that went into every aspect of the show paid off. I cannot wait to see what is next in store for the Academy!
by Leilani Goodall – Images thanks to Amy Hanna
