Holy Cross College students putting on production of The Happiest Days of Your Life

STUDENTS at Holy Cross College will portray the time that many consider to be the ‘happiest days of their lives’ in their annual drama production.

Set in post-World War II England, The Happiest Days of Your Life is a comedic farce, set in all-boys boarding school Hilary Hall, whose harmonious existence is disrupted by the arrival of the staff and students of St Swithin’s, an all-girls school.

The all-male staff must learn to share the facilities with these ‘intruders’ and soon, things get thrown into chaos with the imminent arrival of two sets of parents.

What follows is a hilarious, chaotic mess as the staff scramble to hide the opposite sex from their respective parents.

“It’s a bit strange playing these characters because they are completely different to our modern times,” said student Brianna Armstrong, who plays Miss Whitchurch.

“It’s a new challenge to put ourselves into the mind of that character but I’m crazy and eccentric, so I think they are terrific.”

Playing with the style of comedic farce, this year has been a breath of fresh air for the students and staff involved in the cast and crew because this production is unlike the previous years.

“The dialogue and one-liners are brilliant,” director Chris McRae said.

“Watching these students interpret the text, understand it and then deliver it with hilarious results has been a joy to watch.”

Year 12 student Max Hughes will play Godfrey Pond, head of the all boys’ school, in his third lead role in a College

production.

“The dialogue is from 1950s slang and hook lines,” he said.

“We all gel really well, especially after the camp, the cast is tightly knit – we just get things done.”

Year 10 student James Evans said the college brought in outside help to ease pressure on the students.

“We realised the production was not going to be as easy as we thought it would be, so our teachers brought in some actors to help teach us,” he said.

“It is different this year because the stage is smaller.

“If it were too big then the people wouldn’t feel the cast as a whole; it would be less intimate.

“There is a lot of play on words, double meanings, and jokes to be developed.

“If you watched only half the play you wouldn’t get half the jokes.”

Each year, the college invites a local school and special guests to come to the first matinee performance.

Special guests to the matinee performance on June 16 will be seniors from Aegis Aged Care in Ellenbrook.

The Happiest Days of Your Life will be performed on Thursday, June 16 at noon and 6.30pm, Friday June 17 and Saturday, June 18 at 6.30pm at Holy Cross College, Ellenbrook.

Tickets at www.trybooking.com/ 183142.