It has been said that dreams have the power to alter reality and this was exactly what happened when Uplands College’s drama learners performed The Dreaming to a mesmerised audience.
It is not every day that pupils get the chance to perform a musical based on William Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. After the thunderous applause it must have felt like a dream as many of the learners had only read or heard about the drama four months prior.
Now they were the stars of the show and definitely proved that they knew how to shine.
The youthful exuberance of Bongephi Nhlapo (Jack), Ryan Calmeyer (King of the Woodlanders) Courtnay Kruger (Queen of the Woodlanders) and the other cast members put a fresh spin on this classic tale of romance, comedy and drama on the longest night in summer.
It was a night to remember for the actors who sang and acted like professionals even though it was their first-ever musical performance.
One of the main plots focused on the comedic romance sequences. Jennifer (Khanyisa Ceko) and Charlotte (Manthombi Makhubela) are both involved in a love square, with David and Alexander. Jennifer is still in love with David, while he has his eyes on Charlotte. Alexander is in love with Charlotte, but this all changes quickly after awaking from a dream.
Suddenly roles are reversed and both men fall in love with Jennifer. The dream-like atmosphere and the love theme were thorougly enjoyed by the audience.
The best moment from this sequence was David (Kwena Semenya) and Alexander (Zama Ngomane) both seeking Jennifer’s affection, with her being dumbstruck by this sudden change of heart.
Through the song, “Jennifer” both Alexander and David try to seek her affection, but with little success.
“The end justified the means. The learners gave a wonderful performance and this whole experience has given them so much self-confidence,” said director Annette Engelbrecht.
