On Thursday 1 February, all pupils studying French from Years 7 to 10 had the opportunity to watch a comedy called “Mes Chers Voisins”, performed entirely in French by the Onatti Company at the Senior School. 

It was an excellent opportunity for our students to listen to native actors and test their comprehension skills in an interactive and enjoyable way. Everyone felt included in this live French theatre as the language used was accessible to all our 360 students. A big thank you to the two actors who played six different roles but also to our pupils for their fantastic participation!

Student comments:

Jeudi le premier février, nous avons pu assister à une pièce de théâtre intitulée Mes Chers voisins, et créée par Onatti. Il s’agissait de cinq adolescents et de leurs expériences au cours d’une journée typique. La pièce était divertissante. Les personnages ont été intéressants. La musique m’a bien plu. La participation du public a ajouté un élément original.

Naomi Y8

 

Today we watched a play called Mes Chers Voisins, done entirely in French by the Onatti Company. C’était fantastique! It was about five neighbours, Marion, Sam, Magali, Hugo and Candice. Magali is the biggest Justin Bieber fan ever, and performs some of his greatest hits. Candice has a crush on Hugo, the ‘perfect teenager’, and after a lot of difficulties they eventually go to the cinema together. Sam and Marion are together but their relationship is strained, especially when Sam receives messages from a girl named Miley who always seems to be copying Marion. Everyone really enjoyed the performance and we were really happy the Onatti Company came to do this for us.

Elena Y10

 

Mes Chers Voisins est une pièce de théâtre amusante et elle vous fait rire avec toutes les blagues qu’ils font! J’aime beaucoup comment ils invitent des enfants pour aller sur l’estrade. C’est aussi très facile pour comprendre avec leur mouvement. J’adore comment ils se changent si vite et leurs habits étaient très rigolos. Ils avaient une bonne histoire et elle était très intéressante.

La morale: Aucune relation n’est parfaite comme celle de Marion et Sam!

Théa et Katherine Y7

 

I think that the French play was very good. It was funny and the interaction with the audience made me laugh. I think that hearing French spoken fluently really helped my understanding of how it is spoken every day. The actors spoke very clearly making it easier to understand. The topic was a very good topic because it is something that could actually happen.

Jemima Y9

 

On Thursday 1st February, Years 7 and 8 and those taking French as language subjects were lucky enough to watch the annual French play. This year it was particularly lively and fun, and what made it special was the fact that it could capture the attention of both the youngest and eldest students in the room. The exposure to fluent French really helped my understanding of the language, with not only the vocabulary but also coping with the speed of listening to a French person. It was a welcome challenge to try and understand them at the same time as laughing, but we mostly managed it due to the subtle repetition of the actors’ words to help us along. Overall, it was an enjoyable break in the usual routine and I am glad that I was able to watch it.

Bethany Y9

 

J'ai vraiment apprécié la pièce de théâtre jeudi dernier, car elle était très bien faite et très drôle. J'ai trouvé que le vocabulaire utilisé était facile à comprendre et convenait aux  élèves qui ne parlaient pas le français couramment. Les acteurs étaient très talentueux et utilisaient le langage des signes pour s'assurer que tout le monde comprenait ce qu'ils disaient.  Je l’ai vraiment adoré.

Julia Y9

 

J’ai vraiment apprécié le jeu. C'était marrant et c'était bien d'entendre le français des locuteurs natifs et de pouvoir les comprendre. J'ai aussi aimé mettre mes connaissances en contexte. Dans l'ensemble, j'ai vraiment apprécié le jeu et je l'ai trouvé une très bonne opportunité. C’était aussi très bien pour mon apprentissage.

Lily Y10

 

The performance was simply brilliant. It was filled to the brim with comedy of all sorts, and I’m sure everyone had laughed at some point or another. It was also very helpful in teaching some basic vocabulary such as 'gauche' and 'droite' (left and right), but it also covered some more complex French as well. As I have just learned about the past tense, I noticed it being used in this play. While the play was all in French, it wasn’t too hard to understand what was going on, especially with the use of props, actions and costumes. Overall, it was very educational and enjoyable.

Tara Y9