'A Seussified Christmas Carol’ was a whimsical reinvention of Charles Dickens' beloved Christmas story using wacky rhyming couplets, imaginative characters and strikingly colourful imagery in the style of famed American children’s author, Dr Seuss.

Based on a script by American playwright and Professor of Theatre, Peter Bloedel, the basic concept of the show sees the reinvention of A Christmas Carol’s classic narrative into a dynamic and magical theatrical performance. 

The script was further adapted by the school’s Creative Arts team to incorporate music alongside spoken word, transforming the show from a straight play into a dance theatre production.

A carefully selected soundtrack complemented the narrative on stage by celebrating the best of the festive season through a mixture of classic and contemporary Christmas songs.   

The sold-out audience, who braved the winter weather conditions to watch the performance at Hull University’s Middleton Hall on Wednesday 14^th December, were rewarded with an imaginative production that demonstrated the strength and talents of the school’s performing arts students.

Commenting on the performance, Head of Creative Arts, Jamie Hughes, said: “Our version of A Seussified Christmas Carol allowed us to use artistic licence to incorporate Dance, Drama, Art and Music to create a bespoke performance that showcased all disciplines of the Creative Arts.

We were particularly excited to give prominence to our talented Drama students who, in some cases, were taking to the stage for the first time.

It was lovely to see our students enjoying themselves and supporting each other on stage – creating an electrifying performance that reflected the many hours of hard work and rehearsals that had taken place in preparation for the show.

I am proud of all those who were involved and would like to thank not only the cast, but also the dedicated helpers and technicians backstage who helped to make the show the success that it was.”

Among those in the audience was Headteacher, Mark Crofts, who added: “The scale of the production was incredible and the quality of both the dancing and acting was exceptional. As always, I felt immensely proud of our students for their confidence, talents and technical ability on stage.

The incorporation of acting elements, as part of a combined Creative Arts approach to our recent dance performances, highlights the continuing evolution of this exciting faculty.

The audience’s reaction throughout the production showed clear appreciation for the efforts of our students, and the positive feedback received by staff after the show further reinforced this.”

Since publication in 2011, the show’s script, both in its full-length and abridged one-act versions, has resulted in over 750 performances worldwide across the far-flung reaches of Australia, America, China and Malaysia. However, Withernsea High School’s production marked only the fourth time a version of the show had been performed in the UK.  

A Seussified Christmas Carol was the second production in nine months for the school’s cohort of dedicated performers, who last took to the stage in March for a triumphant return to live performance with their dance show ‘The New Normal’ – a production inspired by the pandemic.

For many members of the school’s current Year 11 dance groups, this latest performance proved to be a bittersweet experience as it marked their final appearance on stage in a school production. Commenting on their involvement, Mrs Hughes said: “I have been lucky enough to have been teaching these wonderful young people for a long time now. They initially chose their GCSE options in Year 8 and have been dancing together ever since.

This year group have been so special to Dance at Withernsea High School, rehearsing in their dance lessons, PE lessons, and after school - with many even offering to run dance clubs for younger pupils. They have become excellent role models and I am very proud of each and every one of them.

To say that they have grown into wonderful young adults is an understatement and I know that they will all go on to achieve great things.”

PERFORMANCE VIDEO AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE

Recordings of the performance are now available to purchase through ParentPay. Recordings are available in two formats:

USB Memory Stick (£5.00) - You will receive a USB Memory Stick containing the show's video files in full 4K resolution. These are playable on a range of USB-equipped devices from PCs and Laptops, to Smart TVs and set-top boxes.

DVDs (£2.50) - You will receive a DVD of the show in standard definition that will be playable on any device with a DVD disc drive. 

COMING SOON... 

Meanwhile, as the school’s Creative Arts faculty continues to flourish, an ever-increasing number of events and productions are in the pipeline, including a planned March production of High School Musical – a stage adaptation of the hugely popular 2006 film musical. 

Tickets and further information about this production, which will be held in the Main Hall at the High School on Tuesday 21^st to Thursday 23^rd March, will be announced on the school website in the coming weeks.

PHOTOS

A selection of images from the performance (Photo Credit: L. Showler)