Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Today was the second day of the school's summer production of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', in which Dan played Willy Wonka and Abi did some exemplary rapping.

I always enjoy these school shows, even if I do wish they could be a little shorter: this one clocked in at over an hour. But it's always a joy to watch the children performing, especially the really little ones, whose dancing in particular often reduces me to a silent mirth (in the style of Arthur Marshall, for those of you old enough to remember his full-body chuckle).

Fortunately, tonight, there was no onstage vomiting nor any gymnastic catastrophes but the thing that did catch me by surprise was Dan's singing. He has - to my mild consternation - become an Eminem fan, and he often raps around the house, with the odd abrupt gap where he edits out the less suitable language, but I rarely hear him sing.

This evening he had to sing 'Pure Imagination', solo, which he did beautifully, including one very difficult interval, which he handled effortlessly. I enthused about it to him afterwards but, in the manner of eleven year old boys, he just seemed faintly embarrassed by it.