With the academic year fast coming to a close, the doors of the Caccia Studio swung open for the final school production of the year: Nighthawks at the Diner, the Lower Boy Play.
Each year there are many House Plays, two major School Plays, and two Independent Plays run by boys. All of these capture the diverse range of drama at Eton, however for boys in F & E Block (Year 9 and Year 10), the Lower Boy Play is a wonderful opportunity for younger boys to star in a leading role.
Nighthawks at the Diner assembled extremely famous diner scenes from movies like Pulp Fiction and Mulholland Drive, and was enthusiastically acted out by our amazing cast. In his first year at the School, Joey G (F Block/Year 9) played Dan in Mullholland Drive. He said: “It was exciting to be in the play. We had so much fun chatting and telling lots of jokes backstage. We all had such a great time.”
Joey said he would definitely recommend new boys to get involved in the Lower Boy Play: “It’s a great way to meet new people and make friendships across the School, both in your year and in other Blocks.”
The play was performed over three nights and had been rehearsed since the beginning of the Summer Half (term). Our director was really supportive and gave us insightful notes on how we could each improve our performance.
He slowly went through every scene, entrance to exit, and advised our amazing technical team. Without the boys working in Wardrobe, Hair and Makeup, Stage, Lighting or Sound, the performance really wouldn’t have been the same.
Our Director, Mr Cooper got his inspiration for the play from his long-standing love of cinema. He said: “Film is a miraculous conjuring of life, dreams and wonders, and the diner seems to express an archetype of American experience in a unique way.”
He thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to stage a range of scenes from a host of great directors. He said: “Collaboration and teamwork are at the heart of the process. I was very happy with the final product and I hope all the boys involved enjoyed the ride.”
Mr Cooper stressed the importance of the backstage crew who worked tirelessly to put this together: “Once the set design, costumes, and tech are all in place, the electricity of the thing comes alive.”
Special thanks to Amanda (Wigs, Hair and Makeup), to Katheryn (Wardrobe), and to Mary (Stage), it wouldn’t have been possible without their unbelievable commitment and planning to bring it all to life. I hope that the Lower Boy Play next year can strive to reach the level of this year’s production. Until next year…
