Jigsaw Arts Oxford’s first theatre trip, and it was a hit!

‘School of Rock’ at the Theatre.

Jigsaw Arts Oxford’s Owner and Manager Becky shares her School’s Theatre experience!

“We organised Jigsaw Arts Oxford’s first Theatre trip, and it was a hit! We went to the brilliant New Theatre Oxford to see the touring production of ‘School of Rock’. It was a fun and high-energy show, perfect for our main school students who are 7-18 years old. Even our youngest students were completely engaged throughout.

Characters Dewey and Zach from ‘School of Rock’. 

The cast of ‘School of Rock’ was made up of mostly young people, similar in age to our students. These children were not only singing and dancing, some of them were even playing instruments live on stage. It was an incredible chance for our students to see people their age up on that huge stage being bold and brave. When we are working on dance skills or singing drills in class, it can be hard for our students to understand the importance of them, but seeing all those skills come together really helped them to understand what we work towards.

We’ve been able to have some brilliant conversations in class about the Theatre, reminding our students that a show like ‘School of Rock‘ doesn’t just ‘happen’. We’ve been discussing how a huge team of creative and very talented people had to come together to make the show.

With a trip like this, it doesn’t end when the curtain drops. Parents have been telling us that the ‘School of Rock‘ soundtrack is being played at home over and over again. The children have been chatting about the show non-stop! One of our parents commented that ‘Elsie loved it!!! Gave her a bit of fire to follow her dreams’. Whether our students dreams are to perform on a big stage or something totally different, it’s wonderful to see them inspired to follow those dreams, and we will be right there with them on Saturday mornings.

Our school opened in 2020 and so Theatres were closed during our first year due to lockdown. This made our visit to see ‘School of Rock‘ all the more special. I was really moved by the experience. Being able to see our students mesmerised by the show, it reminded me why we do this, and the importance theatre plays in our lives. It was really special!

We are so lucky to live in a city with such a vibrant Theatre scene. Huge musicals, brand new plays and even a children’s only Theatre around the corner. We are on the hunt for our next theatre visit for our students. What should we see next?”

Jigsaw Oxford runs Saturday morning dance, drama and singing classes for 3-18 year olds at The Oxford Academy. Visit their page here for more information or give Becky a call on 01856564580 to chat. Two-week trials available for new students!

Read about Jigsaw Bushey Student Caelan’s blog post on touring with ‘School of Rock’ here.