Doha: After two years, dozens of rehearsals, three awards, and a pandemic, students and teachers from across Qatar Foundation (QF) schools strode out onto the stage at Education City to perform the musical extravaganza they created in front of a live audience for the first time.
Sharing a passion for performing arts and creative expression, the performers who worked relentlessly on stage and behind the scenes for months on rehearsals finally brought the community together to celebrate the stage debut of QF Schools Productions’ SHOWTIME! – giving their audience an experience they described as “magical”.
The inaugural music played by Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, a member of QF, and the stage lighting set the tone as excited parents and proud teachers formed a blend of cultures and nationalities, all cheering for their children and students as SHOWTIME! hit the stage.
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The students from Grades 3-12 at QF schools and their teachers, trained by Steve and Jane Griffiths and West End choreographer Christopher Piper, played favourites from musicals including Wicked, Oliver, Annie, Hairspray, Mary Poppins, and Matilda.
And the talents the students revealed at the show left their parents and teachers with an overwhelming feeling of pride and happiness.
“Watching my son performing today made me so proud,” said Murad Al Malawy, a father of a student performing in SHOWTIME!
Teachers from the audience were equally overwhelmed by the talents of their students.
“Seeing a student I’ve taught for over two years perform with such a powerful voice is amazing,” said Jess Hoffman, a primary years teacher at Qatar Academy Doha (QAD), one of the schools under QF’s Pre-University Education.
Agnes Braganza, also a primary teacher at QAD, said the performance had revealed new potential in students outside of the classroom. “It’s really stunning to see students outside the school environment, being given a platform to discover their capabilities and hidden talents,” she said. “It is heartwarming to see how they have grown through taking part in this.”
The swift and smooth change of costumes, hairstyles, and make-up was one of the most eye-catching elements of the show, with Rawda Al Thani, the sister of another performer from QAD who took part in SHOWTIME! saying, “The costume changes, which brought a different theme with each performance of a song, was the most impressive part for me. I was so happy to see my brother so engaged and confident after months he spent on practicing. I believe this experience will be one to boost his confidence, creativity and allow him to express himself.”
