26 July 2022 was opening night for the stage production of Brackenfell High School – Born to Survive. For four evenings our dance-, music- and drama learners entertained and delighted audiences with this extravaganza.

It was a relentless road that led up to the week of 26 to 29 July – learners did auditions in October of 2021 and started rehearsing on 13 January this year. Tuesday- and Thursday evenings were set aside for rehearsals.

There were laughs, there were tears, successful and less successful rehearsals, evenings when all went smoothly with good sound and all on board. And then there were load shedding evenings where we had to dance on the tarmac in front of the school, or in the dark with music from a cell phone.

But Brakkie-artists are resilient and after only seven months of rehearsals we were on stage with our very own production – this cast of around 60 – dancers, singers, actors, musicians and stage hands – were indeed ‘Born to Survive’!

Die produksie was ’n uitdrukking van ons leerders se reaksie op die isolasie wat meegebring is deur die pandemie, sosiale media en ander vooroordele van die gemeenskap.

Die produksie sluit af op ‘n hoogtepunt waar leerders hoop vir die toekoms sien – vir ons land en vir hulself. Die slotitem is ‘n bruisende weergawe van die bekende liedere I’m a Survivor en Survive, wat die gehoor op hul voete gehad het.