Performing Arts Showcase

Burnley College’s Performing Arts Showcase offered an engaging and varied evening of work drawn from across the department’s pathways and levels, giving the audience a clear sense of the breadth of training taking place within the college. The programme, structured to highlight developing skills at each stage, with students from Level 1 through to Level 3 Year 2 presenting material that reflected their current areas of study. Various college tutors directed pieces, while others were created in collaboration with the students themselves, giving the evening a healthy mixture of guided learning and emerging artistic talent.

The showcase opened with Beth Whittaker and the Level 3 Year 2 Musical Theatre cohort performing If You Want Perfection from Death Becomes Her. Beth’s vocals were confident and well‑supported, and the group framed the number with disciplined musical theatre technique, setting the tone for the acts that followed. Flagship, performed by Level 3 Year 1 students, was a bold devised piece set to God Save the Queen, explored the shifting meaning of the St George’s flag in contemporary Britain.

A gentler moment came with Seasons of Love, a collaboration between Level 2 Performing Arts and Level 3.1 Musical Theatre students. The blend of voices was warm and well‑balanced, and the staging allowed the ensemble to support one another without overshadowing the simplicity of the piece. Direction and choreography gave the students space to connect with the material and with each other.

The Level 1 Performing Arts group brought colour and charm with their Hairspray‑inspired jazz routine, full of pony steps, mashed potatoes and bright 60s energy. Costuming added to the vibrancy, and the group performed with enthusiasm.

Threaded throughout Act One were short comedic “ASBO Panto” sketches performed by Level 3 Performing Arts students. These playful reinterpretations, Red Riding Hoodie, Blingerella, and Hansel and Britney, added humour and pace between the larger items.

Act Two opened with one of the evening’s standout pieces: a comic performance of Pride and Prejudice by the Level 3 Year 2 Acting pathway, performed by Riley George, Millie Foxcroft‑Holmes, Laila Ireland, Lexi Nizinkiewicz, Amy Smith, Kai Thompson, and Amelia Trickett. This sharply observed skit followed a hapless society trying to stage a serious production while plagued by every imaginable mishap. The cast handled the escalating chaos with excellent timing, and their collective commitment to the style made the piece slick, funny, and thoroughly enjoyable. It was a confident, well‑judged ensemble performance and a clear highlight of the evening.

Musical Theatre returned with Larger Than Life from & Juliet, performed by Level 3.1 students, followed by a well‑delivered Wait for Me (Reprise) from the Level 3.2 Musical Theatre cohort. Both pieces showed growing vocal assurance and a good understanding of ensemble support. A particularly enjoyable duet came with Agony, performed by Jonathan Baker and Mickey Wilkinson, who handled the comedic rivalry of the number with charm and clear characterisation.

Across both acts, the programme also included video presentations of student work, one in each half. These offered a valuable insight into the wider curriculum and allowed students to display skills not represented in the live pieces, adding variety and showing the department’s commitment to a broad training experience.

Technically, the production was well supported. The lighting team provided a kaleidoscope of colour washes, shifting tone and atmosphere effectively for each piece without overwhelming the performers. Sound was steady; there was a little feedback in Act One and the occasional missed line, but these issues were resolved by Act Two, where clarity improved noticeably. Scene transitions were smooth, and the overall presentation supported a professional feel throughout.

The Performing Arts Showcase succeeded in its aim: to celebrate the work of students at all stages of their training and to give them a platform to share their developing skills with an audience. The variety of material, the enthusiasm of the performers, and the steady guidance of the staff combined to create an evening that reflected the strength and ambition of Burnley College’s performing arts provision. My thanks to everyone involved for their hard work and for presenting a thoughtful, lively, and well‑structured showcase.

 

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