Everybody cut loose: St Josephs puts on a show

St Joseph’s RC High School in Newport has been known to put on musicals on the same level as West End shows (according to many audience members) and it was no different with their latest musical, Footloose.

On the 18th to the 20th of February 2025, the school put on 3 nights of the classic musical Footloose, directed by expressive arts teacher Bryony Doyle and performed entirely by students. The show sold out every night and every performer, whether it be the band, the stage crew or the actors put on a night full of passion and music.

I happened to be cast in this show as a member of the ensemble, I got to play a few little roles spanning from a school kid backing the protest against the dancing ban to a parishioner who wanted the law to stay. This show was special to me as it was my last time performing in a school musical as I am currently in my final year of secondary school, as were many of the other cast members.

The lead roles of Ren McCormack and Ariel Moore were played by students Luc and Darcy. My opinion may be a little biased as I got to see them perform their roles every rehearsal for 6 months and for every night of the show, but I think that they made the show as spectacular as it was. Both sang, acted and danced and put on an incredible show. They really understood their characters and brought them to life: as did the other leads. Unfortunately, this blog would be far too long if I mentioned everyone by name and how incredible they performed. Just know that every single actor made the show as electric as it was.

Other than the actors, the production team was incredibly important in bringing the show up from the ground. The regular stage in the main hall of the school gained a foot long stage extension and a 6 foot tall walkway at the back. To create certain scenes such as a school corridor or a church, tall pieces of flat wood were painted with the appropriate scenery to really set the scene and take you to wherever the show wanted you to go. The set was also brought to life by the intricate lighting provided by Stage Lighting Services.

Every aspect of the production made it special, the tech, the music, the directors, the actors: every element brought it to life. No role is unimportant.

The show was entirely funded with money raised by the cast and crew of the show, while we managed to pay all of the costs, it was still tight with the limited funds and having to raise it all ourselves. I, and many others, believe that the expressive arts are essential, especially in a school setting. As seen from the audience members reaction, school shows are beloved and they could be better with more funding. Additional funding or support from governors or even The Senedd is something that we would all appreciate.

St Joseph’s is scheduled to put on their next show in 2 years time, as is the tradition for many years now. It’s an exciting wait to see what they’ll put on next!