A Southend drama school wowed audiences once more with a colourful end of year performance.

Pupils at East 15 Acting School studying World Performance BA Hons presented the Queen of Mupili African dance.

The performance by 46 students at East 15, part of the University of Essex, enthralled the audience with authentic African rhythms and colourful costumes.

It tells the tale of an abundant kingdom faced with an overpopulation crisis. The queen and all her head officials take tough measures to deal with the situation and improve the living conditions for her people.

Choreographer Assou Ayiga said: “With livelihoods becoming threatened by the kingdom’s rapidly expanding population, a sense of suffocation spreads throughout the kingdom. Something has to be done.

“One day, a woman leaves a newborn baby outside the queen’s village. A loyal subject, passing by, discovers the baby and takes it upon himself to present it to the queen.

“Tensions begin to grow in the kingdom, but are subdued by the sounds of drums and the rhythm unites the subjects of Mupiland in a spiritual state of endurance.

“The rhythm boosts the youths’ morale which lifts tensions and they sing and dance to their hearts’ content.”

To find out more about studying at the acting school, visit www.east15.ac.uk/