Tuesday, 10 September 2024

Antonio Park Primary School

Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:56): I love The Lion King and I love Antonio Park Primary School, so you can imagine my delight when the two came together last week in a performance of The Lion King, and I want to do a shout-out to all the kids – some 500 plus. It was an extraordinary exhibition that took place, including of course the key cast: the young Simba, who was Ava and Lily – there were actually two nights with different performances; Zazu, who was Lucy and Hannah; Mufasa, Jackson and Thomas; Scar, Henry and Harrison; Rafiki, who was Isla and Audrey; young Nala, who was Sonya and Darcy; Simba, who was Scarlett and Amber; Nala, who was Eqin and Laura; Timon, who was Oscar and Georgia; and Pumbaa, who was Bardia and Hayley. There were many more people than that. There were obviously the parents, the helpers and the teachers. They could not have done it of course without the support of their principal Carly Jones. In addition to that, they also could not have done it without the support of the performing arts teacher Kate Tyson, who was also the production director.

There were also of course – and we cannot forget in this sort of production – the hyenas; there were the rhinoceroses; there were the lionesses, the cheetahs, the monkeys, the hippos, the elephants, the giraffes and the gazelles; and there was a bison in the production manual. I am not going to take it up directly with the students, but bison of course are native only to America. But I am sure they were referring to the buffalo or the wildebeest in that case.

A big shout-out also of course to 2K, A and H, because of course they were the stampede; and 3T and H, who were the hakuna matata – that was no worries of course, and that is great to know; and 4M, P and S; 3A; and 5/6G, M, C, E and B. And I cannot forget of course our foundation kids, K and F – they were the lion cubs, and they were adorable; foundation R, who were zebras; J were elephants – the cutest little faces you have ever seen; and then we had class 1S and K, and they were dancing stars; and last but not least, 1J and D – they were the hyenas. They were superb. I have been accommodated very much today by the clock, and I thank them very much for that as well.