A NEW musical performed by Gable Hall School students and staged at Grays' Thameside Theatre will break new ground as it examines issues raised by Covid.

Without a voice, without a choice, forced to learn from home. Locked down and forgotten. Families suffered from the psychological effects of Covid 19, lockdown with kids suffering from boredom, loneliness, frustration, Irritability, restlessness, anger, anxiety, sadness, and worry.

But have you ever wondered what actually went on behind locked doors? 

'ROOM 46' has all the answers and a fantastic talented cast from Gable Hall School will rock you though a 2020 pandemic. From 3-weeks, 3-months to a year, they 'studied, worried and drove themselves mad'! They also created new identities, personalities, found new hobbies and friends. 

"DEAR DIARY…DARE WE BE BRAVE?"

"Our Story Starts At The Turn Of The Century, We're Talking About The Year Of 2020. A Pandemic Swept Across The World And Not Just The Nation, It Baffled All The Doctors In The Science Profession. But, Although Covid-19 Is Notorious, This Story Is Actually About…US!"

Performing the Rock Musical at The Thameside Theatre, Grays, Thurrock on Saturday, 6 July, Gable Hall will invite you into the life of a teenager during lockdown. An all female cast starring Aliye Baram, Holly Bilton, Dulcie Catterick, Ellie Clarke, Larnie-Rae Rouse and Tegan Lacy, this is a great way to celebrate young voices who do have choices! 

ROOM 46 - The Musical...Fun for all the family about a period in our lives that made history!

Produced and Directed by Kids Active Media, headed up by Creative Director Justine Maynard, Stage Manager and Director Terri Levett, and with musical direction from Annabelle Irvine, this is a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain experience and knowledge within the industry from professionals, use their creative side to adapt the scripts themselves and have their own voices heard on their take on lockdown. 

This subject matter always heads up a round of discussion; it gets kids talking. Yet, whilst lockdown was a major part of our lives, ROOM 46 enables us to hear the story from the children's point of view. They are not to be forgotten for how incredible and resilient they were; there will be a standing ovation at the end. They are not our forgotten children, and we were all part of history. 

Students in rehearsal.

Miss Jennifer Stacey, Head of Drama at Gable Hall, shared her thoughts. '' School budgets are so tight at the moment, making it increasingly challenging to provide a rich arts education for students.

"When the opportunity presented itself to work with Kids Active Media and Thameside I knew this would be a fantastic experience for our students. Regional theatres create such great work and are a pillar of the arts in their communities so having the chance to perform there is wonderful for our school and for the students.

"Having Justine and Belle coming into school to work with our young people has been such a brilliant experience so far. Rehearsals are going well and the students have improved their devising skills, their ability to interpret character and their creativity. I couldn't be more proud of them for telling this important story.

"Young people experienced the pandemic differently to adults. Their stories are not told enough, so I'm delighted that they have the chance to get their voice heard.''