STUDENTS at the Thames Park Secondary School in Grays have performed their debut show performed at the town's Thameside Theatre.

The first annual show 'This is Me' saw over 35 students from Years 7 and 8 work on the school's debut production. The show was a devised piece and written by the students themselves. Not only did the students perform and choreograph their own dances, but the process also included script writing, lighting design and sound production. 

The Student Technical team were lucky enough to work with the Thameside Theatre and were given a workshop where they were able to learn how to use the theatre equipment. The students put on a fantastic show under the direction of Mrs Sams and her team.

The story of Maddy and her struggles of being a teenager, going to a new school and making friends was told by one of the cast. It shows the journey of change, development, and perseverance. The students wanted to highlight that sometimes it can be hard to be resilient and you might want to give up at times; 'This Is Me' raises awareness about these struggles and reminds the audience about the difficulties of a teenager in modern-day society. 

"I am incredibly proud to have been part of this production and experience singing a solo on stage for the first time, our school encourages opportunities and motivates us as students to try new things, from the start of the preparation in March there has been a contagious buzz among us all and we are all looking forward to performing in our new school building," said a member of the cast.

Headteacher Mr Kam Bains said: "The talent of our young people is quite inspirational and breath taking at times. They continue to raise the bar on what is possible and have shown that we are stronger when we work together."