THE same stage magic used to project scenes onto Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Jubilee will bring a school production to life.

King Alfred’s Academy, Wantage, says it has pulled out all the stops for its annual production which starts on Wednesday night.

This year students are putting on Chess – an American Cold War musical drama written by Sir Tim Rice with music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of Abba.

The story revolves around the battle between American and Russian grand masters Frederick Trumper and Anatoly Sergievski against the background of a bitter East-West global rivalry.

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Chris Schweppe, 18, who plays Trumper, said: “It’s a great show to be in.”

Louis Butler, as Sergievski, said: “It offers students the chance to broaden their student experience."