Cabot Learning Federation

Panto Meets The X Factor At Bristol Met

Pupils at Bristol Metropolitan Academy are entering the festive spirit this Christmas with their very own Pantomime with a twist.

The Year 8 & 9 Expressive Arts Panto entitled “A Christmas Cowell” is based on the famous Christmas story a Christmas Carol However, tying it in to the modern day it’s got an ‘X’ factor twist where the character of Scrooge is based on Simon Cowell, with the main character of Simon Cowell played by Aaron Pinson a Year 8 pupil.

This Panto has been devised in six weeks during expressive arts lessons and from those lessons a cast was selected from Year 8& 9 students. This project has been made possible due the input of many departments within the Academy, Music supplied sound effects and tunes, the Art dept supplied costumes and props while Design and Technology made the wonderful Simon Cowell dressing room mirror.

The Panto was written by Michelle Lambert Head of Drama and is a short and snappy production produced as an end of term highlight to get everyone into the festive spirit and is part of Bristol Met’s “Zone Day” which will follow their achievement assemblies.

It will be staged 3 times throughout the day on Wednesday 16th December at 9.30am for family & friends of the cast, midday for Key Stage 3 pupils and 1.40pm for Key Stage 4 pupils.

Michelle said “It’s been lovely to see Year 8 & 9 work together on this. They have learned all about the aspects of traditional Panto including audience participation phrases “He’s behind you”, over the top acting, visual and dialogue humour, extravagant makeup and costume, male characters playing female characters and vice versa. They’ve really got into it and enjoyed it because I’ve made it modern day. Even those who do not really like acting have enjoyed playing non speaking roles supporting the Panto atmosphere. The classes have been working exceptionally well as a whole group.”