Sussex middle school drama students stage Honk! Jr. ahead of festival

A volunteer-run Sussex Middle School drama program is mounting Honk! Jr. with 53 students and volunteers, performing Feb. 18–20 and Feb. 23, and organizers plan to take the hour-long junior production to the provincial drama festival in Fredericton in May.

Sussex Middle School's volunteer-run drama program is staging Honk! Jr. this month, with performances on Feb. 18–20 and Feb. 23. The show is a shortened, hour-long junior version of the West End musical based on The Ugly Duckling. Organizers intend to bring the production to the provincial drama festival in Fredericton in May, which has an hour time limit. Fifty-three students, three staff volunteers and four community volunteers are involved in preparing the costumes, choreography and sets. Key details: - Production: Honk! Jr., a one-hour junior adaptation of the 1993 West End musical inspired by The Ugly Duckling. - Schedule: Performances Feb. 18–20 and Feb. 23; festival appearance planned for May in Fredericton. - Participation: 53 students, three staff volunteers and four community volunteers are listed as supporting the show. - Leads: The article names Gabe Benson, Rayah Toomey, Astrid Clancy and Ezra Viau as lead performers. - History: The program began in 2017, restarted in 2022 after the pandemic, and brought Newsies to the festival last year. - Funding: Ticket sales, parent committees and sponsors help cover costs such as script and rights fees (reported as $1,200–$1,500) and festival expenses (reported as at least $8,000). Summary: The production emphasizes colourful costuming, choreography and a message about belonging that organizers say resonates with middle-school students. The program depends on large volunteer contributions and community support, and the cast will aim to perform at the provincial drama festival in May.