Children at Manorfield Primary in Poplar to tread the boards in Disney production at the Luyceum

Disney musicals are coming to a school near you when pupils at Poplar’s Manorfield Primary and their teachers produce their own West End show based on classic children’s stories.

Disney theatre productions coming to Manoirfield Primary School in Poplar. Picture source: Google - Credit: Google

The school is one of five in London selected to take part in the second year of the ‘Disney Musicals in Schools’ programme from October, to make a 30-minute production adapted from a classic Disney film such as The Lion King, Aladdin, The Aristocats and The Jungle Book.

“It’s fantastic for our children working alongside musical theatre professionals,” Manorfield’s headteacher Paul Jackson said. “The professionals are creating an amazing experience for the children.”

The young performers from Manorfield Primary take the stage at the Lyceum theatre off The Strand next March.

The 17-week programme with Eastside Educational Trust is run by theatre professionals who will be teaching the teachers how to produce musicals and make theatre arts part of the curriculum for years to come.

Eastside’s artistic director Matt Lane said: “The children will learn the skills to produce their own musical which we hope develop into a lifelong love of the arts.”

The programme involved nearly 300 children and 23 teachers in its first year in performances in front of audiences totaling 4,500.