Rave reviews for college production

Students from Haywards Heath College took to the stage to bring the iconic story of Made in Dagenham to life.

Jessica Saunders, School Liaison Officer, reviewed the show:
 
Inspired by the real-life 1968 sewing machinists strike, Made in Dagenham follows the story of Rita O’Grady (a fictional character) who leads the fight at the Ford Dagenham plant to bring the Equal Pay Act of 1970 into power.  
 
Students across all year groups put on sublime performances to full audiences on both nights. The show itself was a delight to watch. 
 
The dedication, time and effort that went into the production from everyone involved was evident both on and off stage. There are some real talents within the Haywards Heath student body, and watching them deliver such a confident performance while landing every joke and every note, made it a night to remember. 
 
It’s little wonder the cast and production crew have received a host of rave reviews. 
 
Student Tutor, Becca Harrington, attended the matinee performance and said: “I thought the staging was very clever. The way that they used different parts of the theatre and the stage to draw attention away and to different scenes. 
 
“The vocals were so powerful, especially the last song and the way everyone came together was incredible. It was very professional, and I like that every individual character had their chance to shine, for students it’s so important to be part of something like this and it’s good to see them stand out and be part of a fantastic production.” 
 
Andrew Green, Chief Executive Officer for Chichester College Group, attended the final performance. He applauded the production, and enthused: “I’d like to congratulate the staff and students involved in the Made in Dagenham production at Haywards Heath College. 
 
“It was absolutely fantastic and the production value was amazing, incredible vocals, choreography, the set, the lighting and everything 
 
“I also thought it was fabulous for the people involved to learn that piece of history that Made in Dagenham is all about, it’s a really important bit of history so congratulations again to everyone.” 
 
The whole college came together to support the performance, with a refreshments bar being offered in the interval manned by college staff and the wonderful programmes and show posters were created by cast member, Anais Harris.  
 
Ben Frier, Vice Principal at Haywards Heath College, spoke of his delight at the students’ performance and said: “Made in Dagenham was theatre at its best. I thought it was powerful, poignant, political and loads of fun. 
 
“The crowd were in stitches. I really enjoyed the evening, and it was by far the best show we’ve done here at the college, and I’m delighted that they could bring that to the community as well. 
 
“The cast and crew were phenomenal and the fact that some of them changed roles between the nights really showed their versatility and stagecraft. Overall, I was really impressed, and it was an enjoyable evening out.”  
 
The cast were superbly supported by a live band, comprised of staff and students from Haywards Heath College and Worthing College.