Co-produced by Stepanie Duarte and Monica Coburn, the recent production of The Lion King at St Dominic’s School has been hailed as a huge success.
This outstanding and adventurous performance by a host of students kept the audience spellbound from the opening song to the final bow. The musical was performed on a circular central stage in the gymnasium, which effectively portrayed Pride’s rock.
Marcelo Rasberge gave a very convincing performance as a young Simba, with his father, Mufasa, portrayed equally well by Alessandra Mendonca. Musafa’s dignified assistant, the hornbill Zazu, was played by Joana Do Vale and the evil Uncle Scar was also performed fantastically by Pedro Moreira. Other characters include Timon the meercat (Elise Witek) and Pumbaa the warthog (Jamie Rowlands), who lead Simba into a more laid-back approach to life during the second act. The adult Simba was played by Taylor Hughes.
As well as all the spectacular performances on stage, credit must also go to the team working hard behind the scenes. The make-up team, headed up by Cathy McGann, spent hours transforming the actors into animals for their performances. The orchestra was also superb and provided a brilliant soundtrack to the play.
Student, Jessica Woolfson, was the assistant director and also played the part of Sarafina. “I have learnt so much from this performance that I think I want to continue directing when I get older,” she commented.
Pedro Moreiro, who played Scar, said: “The first night was nerve-wracking for everyone, but by the second night we gained confidence and enjoyed it immensely.” Melissa Gonçalves, who played the leader of the hyenas, added: “Acting as an animal is so different to acting as a human, you have to use your body very differently.”
All in all, the performances from everybody involved in this production of The Lion King were fantastic – everybody came together and put on a fantastic show.
