Kington Intermediates Get Creative!

Our Kington Intermediate Group are currently in rehearsals for their performance of Arabian Nights, directed by Dan Pegler, which will be performed at Lady Hawkins School on Wednesday 18 April. As well as getting to perform on stage, our young people are also getting creative behind the scenes. We caught up with Chad who has been busy painting the scenery for this production.

 

“One Thousand and One Nights is a timeless series of stories.
I know I was there.
And one of these three statements is false.”

Yes, that is me and not some artist that I plucked from a French cafe, and yes, that is a toilet brush. A visual gag that cost me 50 pence, however for the sake of The Courtyard I decided to follow through. When starting my flat I sourced only the best unknotted lengths of; 1 and 1/2 inch by 2 and 1/2 inch on the budget pine. The budget being 0 pounds and 0 pence I ended up doing a thing called ‘reclaim’. I unnecessarily used lapped mitre joints to join the four corners (they are the ones you usually get on a picture frame) and a lap dovetail joint to brace it in the middle and that doesn’t mean use the idiom although I have never tried it myself. To have a smooth surface to paint on I coated and sanded a watered down PVA glue, and subsequently gave it 3 coats of primer.

Then it finally came to the arty bit. When I started the task I reminded myself of a mantra that I made myself. ‘Always go from dark colours to light colours’ (its always worked when loading the washing machine!) – It also applies to painting a sunset. There are also parts that I made to sate my surreal appetite such as; the silhouette of the buildings, and the small figure of a spice trader and his camel that, yes is wearing flares and being held by his beard. But ‘Why an onion and swiss cheese for your architecture Chad?’ I hear you ask! Well firstly an onion is a natural spire stencil and London has The Gherkin therefore Arabia has The Cheese and Onion, it just makes sense.

The one question I cannot answer though, is why shouldn’t you come and watch Arabian Nights, a performance by the fantastic Kington Intermediate Group? You also get to see me in my pyjamas, what a treat.

Arabian Nights, adapted by Dan Pegler, will be performed by Kington Intermediate Group at Lady Hawkins High School on Wednesday 18 April at 7pm. Tickets are £3 and available to purchase here