The students at Whanganui Intermediate School are buzzing with excitement as they prepare to take the stage in a school production for the first time in six years.
For their return to the stage, they’ve chosen to perform Popstars, a nostalgic nod to the late 90s Kiwi reality television show that followed a group of aspiring singers.
“We knew many parents would recognise the songs, and with 90s fashion making a comeback, we thought it would be easy to costume,” said Roz Armstrong, the director and teacher behind the production.
Armstrong said she led the school’s productions until 2018, but then took a three-year hiatus. The pandemic and a school camp further delayed any productions.
Before her break, Armstrong was a performing arts teacher. Now, as a cluster leader and teacher, she said she finds it a bit more challenging to find the time for the production, especially since many of her former team members have moved on.