4 minute read
Drama
GCSE and A Level Drama students have enjoyed creating and performing Drama as part of their curriculum. Students can be assessed as either designers or performers, and Kingswood Drama students created many memorable pieces this year. Here are a few highlights from the year.
ANTIGONE
There’s a special type of nervous excitement around a school production. However, the production of Antigone was particularly special, as it had been such a long time since Kingswood School had been able to celebrate the talents and creativity of its Drama students with a live audience! In March 2020 theatres went dark and, although the creative arts were on the curriculum and small-scale events continued, Kingswood hadn’t been able to welcome the community into the theatre since their performance of A Christmas Carol in 2019.
The story of Antigone and her famous father, Oedipus, was picked up by Sophocles in 441BC, after being handed down from generation to generation. It is incredible when you think about how long the story has survived.
There is a reason that this Greek legend has been told over and over; the ideas Sophocles presents in Antigone have such relevance in today’s world. The themes of gender equality, democratic voice and religious faith still resonate, loudly, today. Antigone shows the strength women have in the face of male authority. She is strong, passionate and full of love; sometimes to a fault. She feels a heaviness of duty to her family name and the Gods. A fearless risk taker, empowered by her defiance, a work of female rebellion. The audience could not fail to admire her loyalty to her brother and her strong beliefs. Equally, watching a man fall from greatness, his blindness and unbending resolve, to stick to his beliefs, a stark lesson in the abuse of power.
The appeal of Greek theatre is its colourful, vivid characters and how their stories can be brought to life on a modern stage. We wanted to update Creon’s kingdom to a corporate environment where the conflict could play out amongst a familiar background. Contextualising Antigone for modern times helps us to think of the difference between moral, divine and political law. We can see these echoed daily, playing out in the corridors of power. Antigone is timeless and relevant to us all.
Antigone is timeless and relevant to us all.
The cast, design team and crew were fantastic throughout rehearsals, and we are so lucky to have some very talented designers, performers and technicians amongst the student body. It was a real pleasure to encourage those not taking Drama as a subject to get involved too, making it a real, whole school event. Putting on a production doesn’t happen without a huge give on top of the busy, regular school day; excellent humour, energy, commitment and resilience were all in play here. I hope that we were able to create some enduring memories for those involved.
GRIMM TALES
There were six Grimm Tales in total performed by a cast of Year 7 and Year 8 pupils. Here are some highlights.
• Hansel and Gretel • Golden Goose • The Hare and the Hedgehog • Blue Beard • The Emperor’s New Clothes • Ashputtel
DNA This production was performed by a cast of Year 9 and Year 10 pupils. Here are some highlights.
TRIPS
With restrictions lifted, Kingswood Drama students have enjoyed watching live theatre again!
Year 10 GCSE Drama students saw the legendary Blood Brothers at the Theatre Royal Bath, giving them opportunity to see their GCSE set brought to life.
Year 12 A Level students travelled to London to watch the epic, four-hour production of Our Generation at the National Theatre. This was an astonishing new verbatim play that captured the experiences of a generation of teens. Created from five years of interviews with 12 young people from across the UK, Our Generation was a captivating portrait of their journey into adulthood that inspired and moved both the staff and A Level cohort.
The Drama Department are looking forward to the Easter 2023 trip to New York.
