Fosse Bank School, Tonbridge

‘Sir James Barrie’s popular play, “A Kiss for Cinderella,” was the principal feature of the Christmas entertainment by the Pupils’ Dramatic Society at Fosse Bank School, Tonbridge. It is a play dealing with the closing years of the war, and has a definitely war-time atmosphere. There were over 30 players, and all acquitted themselves creditably’. Kent & Sussex Courier, Friday 21 December 1928. Also the Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser, Friday 21 December 1928. Neither newspaper gave a date for the performance. The date shown is conjectural. The pupils of Fosse Bank School performed the play again in December 1936.

‘The choice of a play for representation by school girls is always a matter of considerable difficulty since the ideal school play needs variety of interest, a large number of characters, much light and shade and contrast action and setting, and, if possible, pretty “period” costumes. Barrie’s “A Kiss for Cinderella” provides all these and does not date, in spite of the scene being laid during the war. The only difficulty it might present - that of two principal parts of great length and difficult to sustain - was easily overcome at Fosse Bank, Tonbridge, last Saturday by Elizabeth Blaxland as Cinderella and Brenda Downs as the Policeman’. Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser, Friday 18 December 1936. The pupils of Fosse Bank School had already performed the play in December 1928.