Amid a hectic promotional schedule for Wicked: For Good, acclaimed stage and screen star Cynthia Erivo made an emotional return to her former secondary school in London, delivering a surprise that moved both her and students to tears.
A Heartfelt Homecoming
The surprise was orchestrated by Greg James and his Radio 1 team at La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' School in Clapham Park. Cynthia Erivo interrupted a student performance, sitting quietly as a group of teenage girls sang For Good from the musical Wicked.
Overwhelmed with emotion, the award-winning performer broke down during the rendition. "I went to this school and left over 20 years ago so to come back and listen to you singing that song is really wonderful," she gushed to the assembled students. Her voice breaking with emotion, she told the equally moved pupils: "I'm just really glad to have heard that. I'm not OK at all!"
Inspiring the Next Generation
Following the emotional performance, Erivo engaged with students through a question-and-answer session, offering invaluable career advice to aspiring performers. She encouraged them to "pursue what you love" and not fear hard work.
"I was right where you were, literally," the star revealed. "I had some really wonderful teachers who helped and guided. Don't be afraid of dreaming of those things and don't be afraid of the hard work."
When asked when she first discovered her passion for performance, Erivo traced it back to a childhood moment. "I knew when I was five-years-old," she admitted, recalling being asked to sing Silent Night while playing a shepherd in a nativity play. "Something about the way people reacted sparked a bit of joy. And I loved the fact that something I did made people happy."
From School Halls to Global Stages
The visit held profound personal significance for Erivo, who first discovered her singing talent in the school's acclaimed music department. Born in south London to Nigerian parents who fled the aftermath of the Biafran war, her journey to stardom wasn't without personal challenges.
Erivo was raised primarily by her mother, Edith, a nurse whom she later honoured by naming her production company after her. She experienced family difficulties when her father disowned both her and her sister when Cynthia was just 16, an event she described as completely unexpected.
Despite these early challenges, Erivo's talent flourished at La Retraite, where she participated in numerous stage productions that laid the foundation for her successful career. The school's all-girls Catholic environment and strong music department proved instrumental in developing the voice that would eventually earn her international acclaim.
The emotional homecoming comes as Wicked: For Good opens in cinemas worldwide, continuing the massive box office and awards success of the first film. For the students at La Retraite, the surprise visit provided not just a memorable performance but living proof that dreams nurtured within their school walls can indeed become reality.
