Our amazing EBS Drama and Music legends performed Shrek – the Musical in March, and it was wonderful. Shrek is a brilliant school show. For me, the show is about acceptance, it is about belonging. It is about finding your people. It is about people in marginalised communities finding strength in numbers and discovering their voices. This ogre who has isolated himself from the world is dragged against his will into a friendship with a wonderfully irritating donkey and taught to open his heart and in doing so finds his true self and creates the conditions for those around him to do the same, and gains himself a princess in the process. Is about learning to stand up for your mates, being an ally, and understanding that what’s on the inside is what counts. It sounds cheesy when you write it down, but it’s still true.
I feel that this is exactly what theatre does. The company of this show was a wonderful mix of EBS kids of all shapes and flavours. Taking part in theatre gave kids of all ages something in common, and a membership of a truly special group. Like the Fairytale Creatures who reluctantly end up in Shrek’s swamp, theatre encourages and celebrates people’s strengths, differences, eccentricities, and flies the ‘Freak Flag’ with all those who need someone to stand by and sing with them. For that message alone, Shrek is an amazing celebration of the type of community that East Barnet School aims to be. In an increasingly unfair world where vulnerable people are dehumanised and culture wars are dominating public discourse, the message that Shrek leaves us with is far more astute and insightful than it might first seem. It shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, ogres are like onions aren’t they?
And it’s a timely reminder that farts will always be funny.
Thank you to all the students and staff who worked on the show, and the school community as a whole who supported us in so many unspoken ways. Finally, thank you to everybody who came to watch – another four packed sell-out performances. See you next year!
Mr Messios and the Team
