Colourful end of term at St Mary's

End of term at the special needs school means a special tradition.

The ceremony at which school leavers receive their certificates and their records of achievement is preceded by a dramatic production. Inevitably, this has a large cast - highlighting the appeal principal and chief executive David Cassar in support of the 1m project to create a school theatre which could be shared with the community.

The Button Box, produced by Amanda Jago, was an inventive vehicle for pupils' talents and enthusiasm.

Two children staying with their grandparents are bored on a wet day. They look into Grandma's button box and ask her to tell them where the buttons came from.

The first came from a jacket that had belonged to Uncle Jack. He had sailed the world - cue for a song featuring the walking fleet.

The aboriginal painted button Uncle Jack had brought from Australia spawned Before The Dreamtime, a song featuring aboriginal instruments.

Grandma tells the children about a Chinese dragon and its connection with her red silk button - enter the dragon and cue for The Dragon Dance.

A sequined button from the costume Grandma made for her neighbour's son who was in a pop group ushered in the rap number Button Your Lip.

The mood suddenly became sombre with the discovery of a button bearing the initial of Uncle Tom, killed in the Battle of the Somme.

In contrast, Impuku Nekati told with an African beat the story of the ivory button brought home in Victorian times.

Just as bedtime loomed, Belly Button Boogie set feet tapping before pieces of scrimshaw brought back from Jamaica by Uncle Jack prompted The Paradise Island.

Parents, staff and friends gave the cast hearty applause as they ended with The Pyjama Button and The Button Box.

Like every accomplishment at St Mary's, the production had been achieved by young people triumphing over adversity.

Charis Morley was Grandma with Alexander Zdanowicz as Grandad, Charis Turner as Alice and Peter Search as Jack.

The sailors were Benjamin Hobson, Charles McAlister, Sebastian Reeve, Henry Codrington and Aiden Mackintosh.

Under the Chinese dragon were Alexandra Haddow, Thomas Search, Lewis Jackson, Olivia Wombwell, Henry Loveday-Lovell and Elliott Marshall.

Jo Dolan was on drums; the aboriginal instruments were played by Oliver Buchanan, Jonathan Walker, Mary Ryall, David Almond and Hewie Wallace.

The rappers were Poppy Manning, Lorna Somers-Eve and Oliver Tottman.

The Zulu drummers were Lydia Fitzalan-Howard, Onakome Equjowah, Sean de Rouen, Joshua Dyer, Daniel Barrow, Gregory Amos, Joseph Knight, Thomas Docwra and Adam Clark.

Jamaican instruments were played by Samuel Thexton, Marvin Kavanagh-Brown, Joe Brown, Alexander Hatchwell and Rahul Kanabar.

The hula dancers were Jason Bakoola, Emmanuel Banerjee, Joshua Challis, Christopher May and George Knight.

Belly dancers were Elsa Mitchell, Sarah West, Annie goddard, Daisy Burgess, Catriona Cuffe, Ariella Meyer and Alexandra Sorab with William Smith on drums.

The choirs included Sean Wilson, Cameron McMillan, Harry Salt, James Dragonetti, Jordan Short, Rohan Suri,

Charlie Thomas, Robert Gould, Aidan Yusuf, Alexander Crane, Alexander Reich, Emma Feldmar, Aaron Fleischer, Luke Baines, Celeste Outram, Victoria Elliott, Rhiannon Hicks, Benjamin Vass, Abigail Concannon and JordanKissaee.

Soloists were Daisy Burgess, Kimberley Lloyd, William Smith, Juliet Clarke and Edward Ronayne with Perrie Smith as the disc jockey.

The bulk of this year's school leavers will be going on to St Mary's College with others going to colleges througout the country.

Chairman of governors Canon Gordon Rideout presented his predecessor, Bishop David Wilcox with two complementary gifts - travel vouchers and a camera so he and his wife can record their travels.

John Dowling