Drama Department

In the Limelight

It has been an exciting year for pupils involved in drama productions, with each term offering new opportunities to get involved. The year began with a collaboration with the Octagon Theatre to put on this year’s Joint Middle School Production of ‘Great Expectations’. BAFTA-nominated writer and director Janys Chambers created a brand new adaptation of this classic tale, breathing new life into Charles Dickens’ masterpiece, and Jane Linz Roberts, a London-based award-winning designer, designed the set which was especially built for the production by the School’s technicians. Under Janys’ direction the cast of almost forty pupils, from across both Divisions, impressed audiences during the two-night run. The production captured the timeless pleasures of a good yarn and audiences were blown away by the storytelling and acting abilities of all the students involved.

Into The Woods

In the Spring Term, a small but incredibly talented cast of twenty boys and girls embarked on the fiendishly difficult production of ‘Into The Woods’ by Stephen Sondheim. This complex and ambitious musical is an iconic piece of musical theatre, and the cast more than rose to the occasion. Throughout the three-night run, audiences at the Senior Joint Production were delighted, amused, and inspired by the performers’ ability to deliver such contrast of exceptional musical virtuosity and heart-wrenching emotional poignancy. The cast were expertly supported by a band of live musicians, seven of whom were pupils from Year 8 to Year 13. ‘Grease!’ was the word for Middle School Production in the Summer Term. The cast were wonderful during rehearsals and worked so hard, it was an absolute pleasure for Ms Field and Mrs Wade to direct this musical with such talented girls.

Great Expectations Grease!