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MAKING A SONG
AND DANCE OF IT
■ GINA DAVIDSON
F
INGERS are snapping, legs
are popping, smiles are
widening as arms reach
imploringly to the stars. Voices
sing in unison: “Just a small town
girl, living in a lonely world . . . she
took the midnight train going
anywhere...” “Come on’” yells a
voice from the front. “One, two,
three, four . . . sexy salsa, now
really cheesy . . .”
It’s not an actual scene from an
episode of the surprise hit TV
series Glee – dubbed “High School
Musical for adults” – but it could
be taken straight from the script.
Instead this is a Tuesday lunch
hour at Haddington’s Knox
Academy where for around 100
pupils, packed lunches are aban-
doned for an hour of singing,
dancing and the chance to forget
school pressures and teenage
angst by getting lost in music.
Ties have been loosened,
Turn to Page
sleeves rolled up,14
and perspiration
is forming on foreheads as drama
teacher John Naples-Campbell
exhorts his Glee students to com-
mit themselves to the moves.
Glee clubs are part and parcel of
the American high school system,
but this side of the pond, singing
at school has generally been
restricted to the school choir.
But ever since the US series hit
our screens, exploding ratings
and taking the Golden Globe for
best comedy series, interest in
such clubs has been rising.
Mr Naples-Campbell, a Queen
Margaret drama graduate who
also runs the Random Act Theatre
Company and still directs musical
theatre, thinks his club might be
the first in Scotland. And while he
SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2010 13
“We started with
FUN: Mary-Beth McFern, Fiona Duncan, John Naples-
Campbell and Ben Nesbet enjoy the Glee club, above.
misses the element of competition
that could result if there were oth-
20 members, but ers, he believes that it’s more about
having fun and building young-
since Glee came sters’ confidence.
on TV, it’s risen to “The difference between a Glee
club and a school choir is that it’s
around 100 so for every year group, so we have
kids aged 13 to 17 here. When I
now we need the came here I knew there was a
school hall to tradition of good school choirs
and classical music and I wanted
rehearse” to offer something different. The
JOHN NAPLES-CAMPBELL school choirs are for junior and
senior girls, but there wasn’t
much for boys or those who want-
Picture: JULIE BULL
ed to sing and dance. We started
the club before Glee came on
British TV, but I had a box set of
the series on DVD and loved it. It
reminded me of my time at Queen
Margaret. The drama students
were with the nursing, media and
sports science students. We were
the weirdos who were singing in
corridors.
“We started as a show choir, but
that was when we had about 20
members. Since Glee came on TV
the numbers have risen to
– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Turn to Page 14
14 SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2010 www.edinburghnews.com EVENING NEWS

‘It’s a real mix

Picture: JULIE BULL

of pupils .. It’s
all about fun’
From Page 13
around 100, so now we need the
school hall to rehearse – and we’re
planning a show in the Brunton
Theatre at the end of the year.”
He adds: “I thought it was bril-
liant when pupils started coming –
and yes we probably have some
“Gleeks”, but it’s a real mix of
pupils. It’s all about having fun, and
it’s given the kids confidence.”
Certainly there’s a good cross-
section of types at the Tuesday
rehearsal: the cool ones, the
enthusiasts, the MORs. Even
those not involved obviously know
what Glee is all about. As pho-
tographs are being taken, one
pupil opens a classroom window
and a chant of “glee, glee, glee”
carries across the internal court-
yard, while an older male pupil
holds his fingers to his forehead in
an L shape. His thoughts on Glee
members are obvious – losers.
That is definitely how the club in
the TV show is regarded at first,
given that it’s members are made
up of school misfits: a homosexual
fashionista, the nauseating nar-
cissist, a disabled guitar player, the
Beyoncé-wannabe and a Goth
with a speech impediment. But at
Knox, it’s a different scenario.
“We have a lot of the cool people
who are members,” insists 17- SUCCESS: The cast of the TV show Glee have had hits in the US
year-old Robert Edgar, the club’s
pianist, who it seems is too cool
himself to even watch the show A GROWING PHENOMENON
that often. “I got involved because
I was in the sixth year panto and GLEE is the producer Mike for inappropriate
it’s a fun thing to do – even though brainchild of Ryan Novick also sang in conduct. He is
I can’t sing or dance. I just move Murphy, the Golden their own schools’ treated horribly by
my shoulders a bit. Globe-winning Glee Clubs. his wife Terri, who
“We also get to choose the music creator of Nip/Tuck. Set in the is pretending to be
which is great. I chose Rihanna’s The gay 43-year- fictional Wiliam pregnant.
Disturbia.” old Irish Catholic McKinley High in The show is such
Fiona Duncan, 15, who is get- used his childhood Ohio, the club is a success that the
ting ready to sit her Standard experiences as a run by Spanish producers have
Grades in May, including drama, lead actor in high teacher Will released a number
adds: “It’s a place to come and be school musicals, Schuester, who of recordings by
a bit mental, let off steam. I love the while his co- took over after the the cast which have
show, though I wouldn’t say I’m creators Ian previous Glee been major hits in
like any of the characters.” Brennan and teacher was sacked the States.
A younger enthusiast is Ben
Nesbet, 14, one of the few male ENTHUSIASM: Fiona Duncan comes to the club to let off steam
members. “My parents think it’s factor in Glee? “There are kids at And as someone once said:
great there’s something like this though. great, so when the club started I school who want to be on X Factor Fame costs, and right here is
for me to come to because the “I’m not a big fan of Don’t Stop came to see what it was all about, or Britain’s Got Talent, but I would where you start paying. “But Glee
choirs at my age are just for girls,” Believin’ which is what we’re and it’s good fun,” she says. “I say, thankfully, they don’t seem to isn’t like that,” he laughs. “It’s just
he says. “I’m studying Standard doing at the moment.” think more schools should take it be Glee club members,” says John. about fun.”
Grade music, and this is so dif- One of the youngest members is up. It would be great if there were “People who want that aren’t part ■ Glee is on E4 on Mondays at
ferent from that, but I love singing. 13-year-old Mary-Beth McFern. “I competitions like in America.” of a team, and the Glee club is a 9pm, repeated on Channel 4 on
I don’t always like the songs we do, watch the show and think it’s So is there a wannabe-famous team effort.” Sundays at 5:30pm.

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