University of Chichester students offer magic, music and storytelling

Performances are on Thursday, November 14 at 7.30pm; Friday, November 15 at 7.30pm; Saturday, November 16 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm; and Sunday, November 17 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets on https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/universityofchichesterconservatoire/pippin/e-pldrgb

They are promising a unique blend of magic, music and storytelling in a classic, written by Stephen Schwartz, which follows the journey of a young prince searching for his purpose in life.

Sofia explains: “The piece follows a troupe of players who are repeatedly putting on the story. Pippin is on a journey of self-discovery. Pippin is the prince.”

It is a kind of play within a play, and the company have taken a lot of inspiration from the mediaeval period. For the story itself: “All characters are actors playing the characters of Pippin and the king and the grandma and so on. It's very meta!”

Sofia is sharing the role with Lily: “We're both playing him as a man but our production is an all-female cast. It's very open to different interpretations for whatever the person is trying to do.”

Lily is enjoying the all-female aspect: “I think it allows for a really interesting message. It's a story of exploration and self-discovery and a search for fulfilment, and a lot of young people are exploring their gender and their sexuality these days so it is good that this is quite fluid in that sense.”

As Sophia says, they are both interpreting the character quite differently: “The characteristics are the same but our portrayals are not. I play him as quite energetic and busy. He is always moving. He's quite clumsy. He is so passionate and so determined.”

Lily is taking a slightly different approach: “I play him as a little bit more grounded. As everything in the play is really over the top it makes it all so energetic but for me the most important thing is to make Pippin relatable as an everyman so that everybody can see themselves in him.”

Lily comes from Southampton and auditioned for two years in a row before getting a place on the course: “I just love the environment. It's such a supportive place to be. You could tell that in the application process. We're both in our second year and it's wonderful. It is just so, so busy but it has to be to get through everything that we need to do.”

Sophia agrees: “I'm half Greek but I was born in Chichester but we moved to Dubai where I grew up. I'm kind of all over. But I was born in Chichester and I grew up with the Festival Theatre and seeing lots of shows and so to come back to Chichester feels really familiar for me. Having moved away, it was really comfortable to come back and I'm just absolutely loving it here. It is so busy and it's so intense but that's the fun of it. You are doing something that you love so much but doing it with people that love it as much as you do. It's just really, really great fun.”