Prize Day at Carlo Diacono JL

The bell tower of Notredame, the wild, untamed jungle, an enchanted palace, St Petersburg in Russia, and finally Paris during the revolutions of the early 19th century. No, this is not the latest tour being offered by some travel agency, but the various places to which the audience which attended the Prize Day performances at Carlo Diacono Girls' Junior Lyceum, were transported.

These were held between May 2 and 6. It is customary to put on a stage production for this occasion. This year, the production consisted of a selection of scenes from various musicals staged from 1995 onwards. These musicals were originally adapted and translated into Maltese by Trevor Zahra, the well-known author, and a former teacher at this school.

For this production, in which about 130 students were involved, achieved two aims. First of all, it expressed appreciation towards the numerous former students who had participated in these musicals during the past years. Secondly, it celebrated the new talent present in our school. These students worked hard to provide the audience with an entertaining show. Both experienced and inexperienced students worked together as a big team to give their best possible performance.

Naturally, a good number of teachers also worked hard to help the students do their utmost. Different teachers were in charge of the choreography, the singing, the costumes, the setting up and painting of the set, and the make-up. More helped out here and there, while others were involved in bringing together the various jigsaw pieces into one whole production. A lot of energy went into the production but in spite of this the experience was a positive one for every person involved.

However, the most important element that both students and teachers acquired while preparing for and presenting such a show was certainly the experience of working as a team. The friendship that evolves between the cast members and the production team, and all the memories of the rehearsals and performances, remain in their hearts for a very long time, even after the shows are over.