A HIGH school has pulled off the almost impossible task of staging a major drama production involving over 70 students amid the mayhem of the pandemic and lockdown.

Next week Bedale High School will be performing the hard hitting drama Blood Brothers for all pupils, with a rolling series of shows, a film and photographs will be available for families who won't be able to attend the live performances because of lockdown restrictions.

Head of drama Louise Woodward said rehearsals began in earnest last October after a tough casting process across all years but unfortunately had to be put on hold with the introduction of the third National lockdown and subsequent school closures.

But students and teachers were not prepared to let that put them off. She added: "The entire ensemble have been tremendous in their proactive and enthusiastic approach. Every week, showing up, leaving the baggage of the day at the door and thoroughly getting stuck into rehearsals.

"The whole team has shown an incredible sense of dedication, motivation and excitement towards this production, despite the enforced break as a result of the lockdown. The process of bringing it to the stage has been a long and intensely collaborative one and in many rehearsals, students have been given the freedom to explore their ideas independently.

"As such, our interpretation of Blood Brothers promises to be a veritable feast of creativity and an artistic assault on the senses. Each cast member was selected because of their ability and confidence to experiment with and explore a role. It has been an exciting process to witness the development of each character, seeing how the actors grew and sometimes struggled understanding the play and working as part of a large ensemble cast in these difficult times."