Senior class presents classic

Students of Chanel College's senior class say they want to go out "with a bang" this year, putting on the college's first play in 11 years.

Year 13 student Chelsea Bull, 18, and 15 students are putting on Murders on the Island, a period whodunnit adapted from an English play and paying considerable homage to the murder-mystery genre.

The play, which is open to the public, will run at Harlequin Theatre on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week at 7pm.

Ms Bull said the play was the "classic recipe" of the whodunnit.

"A forbidding manor house, guests unrelated to one another, a murderer picking them off one by one."

She said the school had not done a play in 11 years, and she broached the idea with her teacher.

"We didn't know if funding was possible, so we researched it, and found a way to make it work.

"We just want to cover the cost."

All the cast are directing, and the work will earn them NCEA credits.

"We've done a lot of drama performances in class, but this is the first big one.

"We have 80 seats per night."

Ms Bull said the work had brought the class together.

"We're learning how to act together. It's really amazing to see everyone's potential.

"It's built everyone's confidence up.

"We wanted to do it as a senior class. We wanted to go out with a bang."