Cast of powerful College play scoop Wirral Globe’s ‘Class of the Year’ award

The cast of the successful Birkenhead Sixth Form College play, ‘Bored’, have been awarded the honour of ‘Class of the Year’ at the Wirral Globe Schools Awards 2017.

The nine students and their Drama teacher, Liz Bones, received the award at a glamourous ceremony at Thornton Hall Hotel, with the Globe hosting a night to celebrate the best in Wirral’s schools.

 

Liam Ainsworth, Emily Balmer, Megan Condliffe, Kate Disley-Jones, Adele Edwards, Jack Hirons, Jack Hudson, Lucy James and Abigail Thomson were presented with the ‘Class of the Year’ trophy after they themselves wrote the production ‘Bored’ in conjunction with Merseyside Police, and guided by their teacher, Liz, with the aim of using drama and a peer-to-peer approach to warn the region’s younger schoolchildren about the consequences of antisocial behaviour. The innovative scheme prompted the Drama students to spend countless hours outside of College time researching and learning about the subject, and honing it into a piece that was both entertaining and hard-hitting.

"This has been a learning experience, not just for me, but for every one of us involved, including our Drama teacher Liz, who this couldn’t have happened without.”

Jack Hudson, Drama student & 'Bored' cast member

The Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Helen Newlove, whose husband, Garry, was beaten to death by a gang of drunken youths who were vandalising, visited the College in late 2016 to tell her story, which acted as further inspiration for the students.

Having debuted the powerful play in the College’s Drama Studio in December in front of pupils from five local schools, the overwhelmingly positive response led to the A Level students performing their work at a heaving Floral Pavilion for over 750 schoolchildren from 16 more schools, along with the highest-ranking police officer in Merseyside, Wirral Councillors and local celebrities Pete Price and international champion boxer, Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd.

The cast of 'Bored' with esteemed guests after the Floral Pavilion show

Receiving the award on the Thornton Hall stage to a warm reception, cast member and final year A Level student at the College, Jack Hudson, said: “I couldn’t be prouder to be here today to highlight a problem that doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

Jack Hudson addresses the audience with his fellow cast members

“This isn’t just another small issue. It’s huge. On the Wirral, there were 10,000 cases of antisocial behaviour reported last year. That may not sound like a lot over the course of a year to some people, but when you break it down, that’s 27 a day; more than one an hour. That’s how often some suffers verbal abuse, physical abuse or other forms of this crime.

The Class of the Year celebrate with Drama teacher Liz and their prizes

“It shocked me, and this has been a learning experience, not just for me, but for every one of us involved, including our Drama teacher Liz, who this couldn’t have happened without.”

The first award presented on the night, the students’ ‘Class of the Year’ prize was sponsored by the hosts, Thornton Hall and Spa, and the group were presented with their award by the hotel’s Business Development Manager, Samantha Sanderson.

Click here to read the full round-up of all the awards by the Wirral Globe.