Plot Summary
A teacher and her/his class reflect on the monumental events that have shaped our lives in recent times. They discuss the pandemic and how various aspects of lockdown have put us all in some quite challenging situations. As we look at snapshots of these situations, we see that amongst the sadness and frustration there have been moments of hope, heroism and even humour.
Song – Wow! What A Year!
Firstly, home-schooling! As two siblings squabble about whose turn it is on the laptop, Mum and Dad try to juggle the demands of working and housekeeping, whilst making sure their children are breakfasted and educated! As things get comically fraught, they find ingenious and slightly unorthodox solutions to making sure all bases are covered!
Song – Round The Twist
Next, we celebrate those frontline workers whose amazing efforts provided a lifeline during lockdown. In a cinematic scene, we imagine them as a team of Marvel superheroes, assembled to battle an evil foe! With KERPOWS aplenty, they emerge triumphant, but acknowledge the sacrifices and efforts made by all of us in this epic struggle!
Song – H.E.R.O.
Heroes come in different shapes and sizes…and ages. We take a moment to focus on one in particular, as we mark the fabulous achievements of Captain Sir Tom Moore and commemorate his remarkable life.
Song – Captain Tom
Remember when certain items were in short supply on the supermarket shelves? As a family hungrily awaits the return of Dad from the shops, they worry why he’s taking so long. When he finally staggers into the kitchen, battered and bruised by the panic-buying hordes, he enthusiastically tries to convince the family that tonight’s dinner will still be delicious, even though he had to make a few ‘substitutions’ to things that were on the shopping list!
Song – None Left
We then consider all the rules and restrictions we were subject to during lockdown, how confusing they could be and how they seemed to change from one announcement to the next! We join three ‘experts’ as they prepare to give another Covid briefing to the nation, in which they will outline their latest ideas to flatten the curve. Realising that perhaps previous instructions had been less than straightforward, they decide to inject some pizzazz into today’s briefing, hoping the message will really hit home!
Song – Put That Mask On
Of course, the pandemic and lockdown have had serious consequences for many people. Livelihoods have been destroyed, loneliness and isolation have affected the vulnerable, and lives have tragically been lost. We take a moment to recognise the sacrifices that have been made by so many and, where fitting and appropriate, to pay our respects on a more personal level.
Song – A Place In My Heart
However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, with the development and roll-out of a vaccine. This has been a cause for celebration and we take a fly-on-the-wall look at how such celebrations may have taken place amongst the scientists responsible!
Song – A Shot In The Arm
So, here we are! Having lived through our very own piece of history, we can now look to the future with hope. Things may take a while to get back to normal, but there will soon be possibilities and opportunities to make the most of and enjoy – a chance, at last, to live our lives and be anything and everything we want to be.
Song – Running Free
Amelie –
We did this last year and me and my friends had so much fun and we love going back and listening to all the songs.
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Alfie –
I did this and I was the bus driver
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Mya –
Me and my class did this last year and we all absolutely loved it. We enjoyed every moment and I was mum 2 and I couldn’t hold on my laughter! I still go back on this website and listen to the songs. This will always remind me of my last year at primary. Loved it!
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bobosa –
I was a shopkeeper in the song this was a poggers play
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Abbie –
Was so cool I was a daughter 1 and let me tell you I was trying so hard not to laugh
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Amara –
I absolutely love this production. It is so cleverly written and the songs always put me in a good mood. Professor Hans Facenspace? Professor Pam Demic? So clever 👏🏻 . This production has made my class so happy, thank you so much!
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Abbie-corpus Christi stechford –
My friend was Pam Demic so cool and the little dancey dance
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jaycee coles –
I AM DOING THIS AT SCHOOL AND ITS AMAZING
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LilyColby2010 –
We’re doing this at school and I’m loving it !
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Izzy –
I love this production and the songs, characters and the topic. Me and my whole class have really enjoyed everything!
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A Girl Who Likes The Songs –
I absolutely love this play. I am a student in the play and I love it as I have been practicing it at school. Is it possible though to make a like to send to the pupils with the songs and lyrics or something as it is difficult to learn the songs just at school and we can’t manage to get the children to learn it at home as there are no lyrics.
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THIS IS AMAZING! –
I love this play it really shows what it was like in lockdown and throughout this pandemic
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Jenna Sainsbury –
THANK YOU for producing ‘Wow! What a Year’. You may just have saved my sanity for the summer term and I can’t wait to perform it with our Year 6s. We have used loads of your shows before, but never before have I been QUITE so grateful for your special brand of perfectly balanced humour, hilarious pastiche songs and thoughtfully (yet simply) put together shows for primary aged children. I’m sitting here listening to the songs, getting ready for our first proper singing rehearsal in over a year, and I’m genuinely tearing up because it is just so perfect for what we need right now. (and as I’ve been writing this, the song ‘A Place in my Heart’ has come on and now I’m genuinely crying!! ) You guys are so clever and I thank you for doing what you do!!
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mia –
really good my school uses it
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Alison Cook –
This is an amazing production that my year 6’s performed. Everyone loved it and some of the characters are simply amazing.
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Jackie Murray –
This marvellous musical is a once in a lifetime chance for children to act out, it will go down in history as being a year like no other! It is a great reminder to the children as well as adults of what we have all had to live through in this past year. Hopefully we will be able to put it on the stage with parents being able to watch, and I think it will help the children remember all the sadness, the changes, as well as amazing things that have helped us all get through the year. Who, other than Edgy Productions, could be clever enough to have written a school musical with two characters called Professor Hans Facenspace and Professor Pam Demic, as well as Iris The Virus! 😂 As always, the track listings are brilliant, with intros, as well as other great sound effects, which all adds to the brilliance of this production. I always find the staging and production suggestions helpful too, as well as the Character list, how many lines they say, and also the costume suggestions are always a great help. As for the songs, they are all, as always well written, and the score caters for most musical abilities. The words of the songs are meaningful to support the script and above all, the children have great fun singing them. This musical will make us all sit back and think…………. Wow! What A Year!
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Anonymous –
Genius idea. We love the songs already. Fingers crossed we get to share this with the parents at the end of the school year.
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Lauren Oxspring –
This is amazing! And perfectly timed. Can’t wait to get started with the children.
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A random pupil –
HI! amazing play cant wait to perform it with my friends:)
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Ben Dover –
This Is Just An Absolutely an AMAZING production all the children loved it!
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