Lily Watchell, a Duchess Park Secondary Grade 8 student, is the narrator who will carry the story along during a play that’s a little out of the box presented by the drama club April 26 to 29.
Duchess Park Secondary presents their first production in years called Game of Tiaras by Don Zolidis, codirected by drama teacher Jackie Friesen and Shelby Meaney. Game of Tiaras is the tale where Game of Thrones meets King Lear that sees princesses try to kill each other to take the crown from the retiring king.
“Lily is in Grade 8 and when we were looking for people who were really eloquent and had a presence for our narrators we weren’t really looking at ages and just casting for talent and wow it was pretty spectacular,” Jackie Friesen, Duchess Park secondary school drama teacher, said. “It’s nice to see such talent in the younger grades being showcased. It gives us some excitement for the future knowing how much talent we have in our talent pool already.”
This is Watchell’s first big theatre production and she is loving every minute of it.
“We’re on our little pedestals on opposite sides of the stage through most of the play and then there are a few scenes where we take centre stage and break the fourth wall a little bit by speaking directly to the audience about what’s going on and it’s pretty fun,” Watchell said.
“I think this play is really funny because we take the Disney Princesses and give them personalities they don’t have traditionally, and of course, we’re combining it with a much edgier action – there’s so much sword fighting – and I think it’s really unique – I’ve never seen anything like it before and I don’t think anybody else who’s coming to the show has either.”
Game of Tiaras is at Duchess Park theatre April 26 to 29 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students. Doors open at Duchess Park Theatre at 6:30, curtain rises at 7 p.m.
