Sit tight, Mr Theron! Photos: Elmie van Tonder Benjamin.

The Melkbosstrand High School soap box derby on Friday had all the colour and drama of a Hollywood blockbuster. Teachers and learners took to the race track in outlandish costumes and masks. Caution was cast to the wind as learners pushed carts at a perilous pace around the track.

The legendary Mr. Theron screamed like a banshee as his cart was pushed around a corner by laughing teenage girls. Was Mr. Theron in danger of bodily harm? Would he be able to perform with his band again after shouting like this? No broken bones or vocal chords were reported, so one can assume that he escaped unharmed.

Early on, a group of masked youngsters posed for a photo, and when thanked, laughed in response. It struck a chilly note in the heart of this scribe. But there was no  need to be afraid of the masked youngsters. The teachers were still firmly in control on this day of role-playing and abandonment amidst the exams.

An affable teacher explained that the derby had to take place in the middle of the day, between two exams, “otherwise the children have too much time to walk about.”

The annual derby raises money for the school’s governing body.