January 2019 saw the production of 'Footloose' brought to stage by TY's and 5th years. Spanning across a total of 5 months, rehearsals took place, initially, each Monday and Wednesday after school, however, as the commencement of shows neared, they increased to a daily occurrence, both inside and outside regular school hours. Alongside the almost inconceivable dedication and work ethic showed by those in the cast, innumerable hours were also spent in the construction and design of the set.
Initially treated with a great deal of apprehension, involvement with the musical, whether on stage or assisting with production, saw myriad students come to a greater fruition in their public presence, confidence levels as a whole, as well as a greater competency in a multitude of skills, with some students even discovering a previously unknown aptitude in a particular area.
As our experience with 'Footloose' drew to a close, the appreciation, learning and predominantly the enjoyment experienced by the students involved, became extremely evident, with some even declaring that “it's been an..... interesting experience to say the least. I won't lie, I wanted no involvement at the beginning, but as time went on, it was obvious that everybody, to their own extent, had both grown to love it and also grown directly from it. While at times it was notoriously difficult, specifically in regard to rehearsals and the amount of dedication needed, it was a great experience and brought all of those involved closer together, for which, I am incredibly grateful.”
From every aspect of production, Footloose saw immense dedication, resulting in large crowds with keen interest from the public and also receiving incredibly high acclaim from all attendees, it proved an experience from which, not only did the school and by extension Kildare town as a whole benefit, but was also one of the main catalysts of the comradery that now sits tightly within the school community.