10:20am Saturday 21st August 2010
By Graham Moody
Most 19-year-olds spend their time partying into the early hours but not Sirius Fawkes - he's been busy writing his very own musical.
For King and Country is the former Archbishop Tenison's School student's first full offering and he hasn't skipped on the workload, coming up with the plot, writing the text and the songs and even starring in it.
"I have been on a gap year for the last year but struggled to get a job," explains Sirius ahead of the play's opening at Royal Russell School over the Bank Holiday weekend.
"To try and keep myself doing something and to have something to show for my gap year I kept writing this musical and decided I should put it on.
"I have always been interested in musicals.
"Writing music came from when I was doing my GCSE music and had a go at it and really enjoyed it and I have always liked going to the theatre and seeing musicals.
"It was a natural progression to write a musical and see what it was like.
"Turns out it's a lot of hard work."
The cast of 24 is full of pupils from schools throughout Croydon, included Tenison's, Royal Russell and the Brit School with all 19 songs originals written by Sirius.
"The story revolves around Emma, whose husband Joshua is off at war," says Sirius, who is going to attending the American Academy for Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles from January.
"She gets word he is missing in action and assumes he is dead and holds a funeral and mourns.
"When she decides it is time to move on she starts dating another soldier called Leo but then Joshua comes back.
"It all goes wrong from there and she is left trying to keep both men happy."
For King and Country, Royal Russell School Performing Arts Centre, Coombe Lane, August 26 to 28, 7.30pm (Saturday matinee 2.30pm), £8. Call 020 8432 0971 or visit siriusfawkes.com.
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