After many years of no musical production at the Deutsche Internationale Schule Kapstadt (DSK), it was music teacher, David Patrick’s vision that brought the stage to life with his version of Siddhartha.
Based on the 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse, German author and Nobel prize winner for literature, Siddhartha is the story of a young man who spends his entire life in search of truth, understanding and nirvana. The musical of which Mr Patrick composed all the music himself turned out to be a fantastic collaborative masterpiece involving English and German speaking students from Grade 1 to 12, teachers and parents.
The opening night on Monday 31 July saw seats filled to capacity with over 330 visitors enjoying the premier performance.
It was exciting to see all the pieces fall into place and that all the hard work was worth it. The performance by the young cast was brilliant, they radiated with energy and adrenaline.
Meaningful messages came across in powerful dialogues and songs, sometimes with a modern and humorous twist. Catering for a mixed audience, narration was in German, while all dialogue and songs were in English. Proud parents, family, friends and classmates saw the cast gave their best over three consecutive nights and one morning during school, and with each performance their confidence on stage grew. For the pupils it was a valuable and unforgettable experience.
Mr Patrick commented after the show: “I am really excited about the talent and creativity of the DSK pupils, they are incredible. As Siddhartha – The Musical was a workshop production, it presented quite a few challenges, but everyone, the kids, teachers and an amazing team of parents got stuck in. It would not have been possible without this support and dedication.”
Sandra Farrenkothen is responsible for PR and marketing at the Deutsche Internationale Schule Kapstadt (DSK).