Karen Marshall reviews Schools Musical Company's Sherlock and Cinders: An enchanting musical mystery by Tom Kirkham and Matthew Crossey and Plastic Pirates by Niki Davies.
Sherlock and Cinders: An enchanting musical mystery
Christmas has finally been put to bed, the nativities are packed away, and hopefully you have found some time in the holidays to recover from it all! However, now it's time for teachers to start thinking about spring term productions, particularly for Key Stage 2 year groups. Others will already be considering summer productions for Year 6 once the SATs are over with. As always, the School Musical Company is ahead of the game with two new musicals which are perfect for both occasions. So what do they have to offer and will they be right for your school?
This musical is by Tom Kirkham and Matthew Crossly, whose music featured in my KS2 Christmas Concert this year thanks to their partnership with Sing Up. Various songs by the duo are now available in the Sing Up Song Bank through a partnership between the companies, which means teachers can get access to even more singing resources with a Sing Up membership (do check it out on the Sing Up website). The partnership will hopefully widen the reach of the Schools Musical Company, who are great at what they do, but I digress. I've taken a good look at Sherlock and Cinders and here is what I have found.
The quality of the publication is good: a lovely glossy attractive front cover with heavy paper and clear, easy-to-read print. The contents are followed by a character list, synopsis of the plot, main character profiles, and many other useful guidelines including scene breakdowns, staging guidelines, song notes, costumes, audition guidance, and the all-important information on editing the script and adapting for different sizes of cast. The script comes with all the music scores. I am sure many schools will opt for CD backing tracks but for those lucky enough to have a pianist available, the music is there.
The plot
A clever merging of two well-known stories, Cinderella and Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are brought in to solve the case of a missing person – Cinderella. With just limited clues, the two get to work in the disguise of a Duke and a female cook. The main characters are joined by a wicked stepmother called Narcissa, her two ugly daughters Imelza and Bellona and, of course, Prince Charming and The Fairy Godmother. Prince Charming's family, father and sister also appear, along with his faithful subject Major-domo and a host of minor characters. The whole performance should last approximately 65 minutes.
Characters and casting
Do reference the website as it provides a quick and easy summary including song samples and script details. There are 37 speaking roles and a cast size of 25 to 60, with the ideal cast size stated as 50. This means that the musical can work well for one class as well as two or more, depending on class size. The demands on the main characters are significant and the story does have a level of sophistication (there are nine scenes and a prologue), which might suite an end of term Year 6 production. With the right cohort of children, though, it could work with Year 4 onwards. You will need a pretty able Sherlock as the role has 91 lines to learn. There are 15 characters with significant roles who have between 7 and 51 lines each. There are then a further 22 roles with between one and four lines. Having enough speaking roles is always a consideration and there do appear to be enough here to keep children (and perhaps their parents) happy that everyone is getting an opportunity. One of the great strengths of the School Musicals Company products is having the option to edit the script for a small additional fee. This can be paid for at the time of purchasing the performance licence or afterwards.
The all-important songs
There are ten songs, along with music for eight interludes. The songs are not too long and have a maximum vocal range of D in the octave above middle C. The rhythms are pretty syncopated but, with catchy tunes, I believe that most children will cope well. The songs do have contrast, with some slower more lyrical pieces along with the toe-tapping theme tunes that Kirkham and Crossey compose particularly well. All songs have a maximum of two verses and there are opportunities for small group-singing in various songs – ‘A Cinderella Story’ provides this along with an additional two-part harmony. Other songs provide the opportunity for call and response singing. There are opportunities for solo singing, such as Cinderella's ‘Trying to Smile’, along with individual lines for different singers appearing in ‘Dress to Excess’. Character groups also have their own songs – like ‘Ugly’ for the Ugly Sisters. Much storytelling is included in the music, so diction is incredibly important. These are not songs that could be left to the last minute – bar rests appear in the songs, which could catch some children out.
The musical accompaniment is accessible for the Grade 6 pianist, plus there are opportunities to include percussion. CD backings are well done, with authentic sounding instruments and realistic tempos. My favourite song is ‘A Cinderella Story’ but all are of a very high standard and above all fun for children to sing.
Plastic Pirates
After reviewing Niki's Stable by Starlight over the summer I had high hopes for Plastic Pirates. Our school Foundation Stage performed Niki's Stable by Starlight with great success – she has a particular talent for writing musicals that are accessible for younger children. Plastic Pirates again hits the mark. This musical would work successfully across KS2 – that's quite an achievement!
Again, the quality of the publication is to the School Musicals Company's usual high standards, with a lovely attractive cover and clear text. The book is well structured, with just 12 introductory pages, which is just the right amount. There's the usual synopsis along with character list, scene breakdowns, advice on the script, staging, song notes, props and costumes. Like other musicals in the collection, cross-curriculum ideas are provided – which are particularly strong in this musical. Some really important messages are communicated in this musical about the need to look after the environment. The extracurricular opportunities here give children the opportunity to learn about the impact of plastic on the environment, important statistics are presented, and a whole range of additional resources are provided so that teachers could run a whole term on the topic.
The plot
Set on a pirate ship called the Plastic Pearl, this story is all about a group of people not realising the impact of their behaviour on another group of creatures living beneath the sea. It ably presents to children how ignorant humans can be about their activities’ effect on the environment. Captain Clingfilm, along with his parrot Polly Styrene and fellow pirates, roam the seas stealing plastic and disposing of it overboard. Beneath the waters, sea life struggles to cope with the impact of plastic on their way of life, with some getting tangled up in it, others wearing it, and some eating it after mistaking it for food. A turn of events means that Captain Clingfilm finds himself booted off his ship and stranded on a desert island. As the Captain's attempts to be rescued are ironically prevented by plastic waste, his world view is challenged. Now he knows the problem, will Captain Clingfilm do the right thing for the ocean's creatures?
Characters and casting
It's just 50 minutes long with an ideal cast of 50. With 47 speaking roles and two further cast members, it provides ample opportunity for two classes to participate. With only five parts that have ten lines or more, the whole class can have their little time of stardom. The lead roles are Captain Clingfilm (38 lines) and Polly Styrene (25 lines) meaning that you will need at least two children with pretty good memories. Other parts though are hugely accessible with simple short sentences that are easy for children to learn. Again, like with all the company's musicals there is an opportunity to purchase an editable script for a small additional cost which is useful for adapting for a smaller cast. If you need to reduce the cast, there is a full list of ways to reduce the whole cast down to 36 – if you need it to work for less than this, then The School Musicals Company invites you to get in touch and they will help you do just that.
The all-important songs
There are just eight to learn, the backing tracks are particularly fun and well produced (steel pans on ‘Oh, I love my microbeads’) along with ensembles that complement the nautical theme. Again, accessible piano accompaniments are available and a Grade 5 pianist (or even below) would cope fine with these simple but effective songs. There are just five interlude pieces to play and lyrics sheets are included in the main script. The first song introduces the ‘Pirate Code’, with fun words that link well to the story (plenty of ‘yo ho ho's and ‘yargh's). A number of songs are in a minor key and have a suitable sea shanty feel. The words are easy to learn and quite repetitive – ideal for this age group.
There are solo opportunities in two of the songs – ‘Oh, I Love My Microbeads’ and ‘The Real Boss is Me’. Some songs include harmonies on the choruses but overall there are lots of solid, catchy tunes perfect for unison singing. My favourites have to be ‘We Love Plastic’ – its punchy diction provides a great opportunity for dynamic characterful singing – and ‘We Need You Polly’, whose syncopation and great tune will make this popular with the students.
Conclusion
The Schools Musical Company has come up with two more fun and accessible musicals that I'm sure will please both children and parents alike. They will hopefully make life easier for teachers across the UK with their accessible scripts and entertaining, child-friendly music.
Please remember to arrange your performance licence, which is only £25 or £50 if the performance is being filmed.
