The Comedy Vault – St Trinian’s.

St Trinian’s (2007)

The St Trinian’s characters were created by Ronald Scarfe, and there were then several comedy films made. Many years later, in 2007, it was decided to revive the series and do another film for the modern generation. I didn’t take too much notice of this film at the time, but then I realised that this might be worth watching, as you’ll discover. St Trinian’s is a school for girls that has the unruliest pupils around.

The authorities are simply not happy with their performances, they are in financial trouble, and they could be on the brink of closure. The school’s headmistress (who like in the previous films was played by a man) meets the education minister and tries to put a rescue plan together. The plot also features a new girl doing the “ugh, don’t send me here, it’s ghastly” routine. The school consists of various groups of girls, including posh ones, geeks, and so on.

When they aren’t fighting in hockey matches and the like, they decide they should all work together to create a plan to steal the very valuable “Girl With A Pearl Earring” picture from The National Gallery. They also have a team go on the TV show Schools Challenge and aim to be a success. Will this plan work? Looking back, there are some rather interesting names in the cast.

These include Jodie Whittaker (and this was long before Doctor Who), Kathryn Drysdale (of Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps fame), Stephen Fry (as the genial host of Schools Challenge), Russell Brand (remember him?), and best of all, Paloma Faith. Now this was about two years before she launched her pop music career and had her first hit single, being one of the last pop stars that I really got in to. And she was a goth as well, could it get any better.

Well of course everything works out and ends with a big party. The soundtrack also dates the film. Mark Ronson? Sugababes? The Ordinary Boys? It’s definitely the late-2000s here. Extras include deleted scenes, outtakes, a look behind the scenes, and some music videos, including a version of Shampoo’s “Trouble” with some rewritten lyrics.

Overall, it could be said that St Trinian’s was something of a rowdy mess that didn’t get the critics too excited really. Presumably the target audience was teenage girls similar to the ones in the film. Two years later though there was a sequel, although as Paloma had now moved on to her pop career, a different character appeared in her place, and I don’t have that one in my collection.