Students from KS4 Drama and selected members of the Frozen Jr. cast visited The Octagon to see East Is East as part of the theatre's season celebrating the play's 30th anniversary.

The performance was impactful and thought-provoking, exploring the cultural similarities and differences within the Khan family and highlighting the expectations placed on teenagers in a northern working-class town during the 1970s.

The set design was particularly impressive, featuring a range of clever multi-functional elements that seamlessly transported the audience from the Khan family's terraced home to the fish and chip shop they own, and even to the tranquillity of a local country park. The costume design was equally effective, incorporating influences from both Pakistani and British cultures through colours patterns and fabric, reinforcing the play's central themes of identity and multiculturalism.

Our students were a credit to the school throughout the visit, and there has been a real buzz surrounding the production. We are now focusing on analysing and evaluating key moments from the performance as part of our preparation for the Live Theatre Evaluation section of Component 3: Theatre Makers in Practice.