‘Willy Wonka Jr.’ brings whimsy to Nakasuk School

Iqaluit’s Nakasuk School gym is transforming into a factory town in England as students prepare to perform the Willy Wonka Jr. musical on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Kelly Esford, a Grade 5 teacher and the show’s director, said planning started in September with the show and character choices. Auditions began soon after that.

Grade 5 student Carly Gabriella Lang was one of the kids to try out.

“I was practising a lot before the day, and I even filmed myself,” Carly said.” I wanted to hear my voice. I thought I did pretty good, but I was also kind of nervous.”

She was surprised when she learned she got the part of Willy Wonka.

“I was shocked,” she said. “I thought I was going to get like an Oompa Loompa, or a really small part in the play, but I ended up getting a really big part.”

Students have been practising their lines since October. Led by Marlene Letkeman-Holst and comprised of Kindergarten to Grade 5 students, the school choir came into the mix in December.

Production costs are covered by donations made to previous Nakasuk School musicals, as well as from funds from the school itself. The cast and crew have learned to be resourceful.

The costumes and props use items from previous shows and materials that the teachers find around town.

“I try and use past costumes,” Esford said. “We’re real scavengers, as teachers. We try and get as much for free, so we’ve adapted and we just use what we can get.”

“If anything needs to be built it’s Charlene [Bretz], and she also runs the tech crew,” Esford said. “It’s a group of students who learn how to do sound and lighting and stagehand work.”

On Saturday afternoon, the crew worked out the final wrinkles. Students and teachers held a tech rehearsal, where they practised lighting changes, checked microphones and changed set designs.

“The kids have been working extremely hard,” Letkeman-Holst said. “This year our musical has a lot more moving parts than it ever has before. I’m very proud of our kids.”

Esford shared a similar sentiment.

“It is very tiring,” she said. “But when I’m in there, on the performance nights, and I’m seeing what the kids can do, it’s the most rewarding thing. I love it.”

For Esford and Letkeman-Holst, this will be their 12th show at Nakasuk in 14 years.

Admission to Willy Wonka Jr. is by donation. Doors open at 6 p.m.