Less than one month ago a group of International Baccalaureate students at St John’s School in Marlborough took on the challenge of directing and performing a dramatised version of Terry Pratchett’s Mort to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Since September 17 the group of about 50 IB students between the ages of 16 and 18 have been working to produce a stunning performance of Mort, a novel published in 1987 as part of Pratchett’s Discworld series and later dramatised by Stephen Briggs.

There are just two performances, one tomorrow night and another on Saturday 7pm in the school’s Theatre on the Hill. Tickets are available on the door, £6 for adults and £4 for concessions.

A talking doorknob, a street party for wizards, and a monkey in charge of a university – anything is possible in Discworld, where the story of a young boy named Mort is set.

This performance recounts the challenges and interesting encounters with strange people Mort faces when he becomes an apprentice to Death himself.

The idea to produce the play was proposed by Year 13 students Charlotte Farrow and Sam Hutchings and will be brought to life entirely by sixth form students, some performing, some taking backstage roles and others responsible for ticket sales and marketing.

Two teachers are also be performing in the play, Gary Paterson and Dr Leslie Spencer, who are IB co-ordinators.

IB students are required to complete a minimum of 150 hours non-academic (Creativity, Action and Service) activities in order to receive their diplomas and for the St John’s IB students being involved in the Mort production will become part of their final qualification when they leave St John’s.

Student spokesman for the production Charlie Linney, 17 said “This challenge is one of the most demanding that the school has ever undertaken, and IB students are not ones to back down.

“I have every confidence that the performance will be amazing and that we will make a significant contribution to Alzheimer’s Research UK”.

The students chose Alzheimer’s Research UK because Sir Terry Pratchett suffers from the disease.