'Annie' 2023

Irish playwright Oscar Wilde once said ‘The stage is not merely the meeting place of all the arts, but is also the return of art to life.’ While the 2023 musical production of ‘Annie’ was performed in SHSS the whole school was brought to life by the energy, talent, teamwork and grit that at times seemed to ooze from inside the closed doors of the GPR. Each cog in the giant ‘show machine’ began to turn ever faster; costumes were suddenly more finessed, routines were sharp and accurate, make-up and props had crept into spaces and even Trixie, Mr Browne’s loyal and obedient dog, began answering to Sandy. It was show time. 

 “Show Week is a special week in our school”, said Mr Walsh to the audience as he welcomed them and any student who has ever graced the halls of Sacred Heart will confirm this truth. ‘Annie’ was no exception. The two casts ran their first Matinee performance on Tuesday 21st November and six more sold out shows followed in swift succession. Children from all the local primary schools watched in awe and the actors got a taste for their first live audience. Being mindful that children are sometimes the harshest critics, the students (who ranged from 1st - 6th year) were buoyed and heartened by the overwhelmingly positive response. 

This year’s director was Sacred Heart’s own, Ms Donna O'Regan who said “'Annie' 2023 was a very special production. The show has it all- fun, laughs, wonderful songs, heartfelt moments and memorable characters. Added to that, a real dog- the wonderful Trixie. We are immensely proud of all the students that contributed to the show. They were involved with PR, front of house, backstage, selling programmes and raffle tickets, doing hair and make-up, costumes, light, sound and of course singing, acting and dancing on stage. The show was a sell-out and the feedback from audiences was truly heartwarming. They were blown away by the talent on stage and how professional the production was. We are thrilled that the show was so well received and we thank everyone that supported the show in any way.” Ms O’Regan was supported by musical director Ms Denise Hayes and choreographer Mr WIlliam Browne. 

Thank you so much to the wider community for supporting this year’s musical, we are already looking forward to seeing what magic will be unlocked in next year’s performance. #shss #aschoolforall #choosewell #annie #musical #drama