Drama News

Matt Smith and Chris Langworthy commenced the year with a stylish and slick version of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes, a production very much in collaboration with the dance department. Mr Smith then went on to direct Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo and Simon Reade with a talented group of Third and Fourth Formers – this was moving and confident theatre. Our graduate assistant, Ethan McDonnell, directed an enthralling production of Andrew Bovell’s fascinating domestic mystery, Speaking in Tongues, to an audience on the edge of their seats in the Open Air Theatre. He has also been leading preparations for this year’s Third Form Shakespeare performance of The Merchant of Venice, to take place in the final week of the year. My directorial offerings this year were Willy Russell’s Our Day Out and Berkoff’s The Trial and also

Private Peaceful

Metamorphosis. We have been fortunate to have two studentwritten and directed plays this year as part of the long-running Donald Bancroft one-act play competition: Snapshots by Theo Craig and End of Choices by Luke Haywood. There have been a number of trips to the theatre this year: Yann Martell’s Life of Pi; Shakespeare’s Henry VIII and Othello; Blood Brothers; The Woman in Black. Theatre is strong and thriving at Lancing College and as well as offering a creative outlet for students, offers a ‘tribe’ for students too – they talk all the time about the links and friendships they have forged in the rehearsal room and the theatre, and about how vitally important they are.

Nicholas Beeby Director of Drama and Dance

Speaking in Tongues

Our director, Mr McDonnell, used the whole space – not even a metre of it was not explored! One of my favourite scenes within the play was where Matty’s character, Nick, was desperately searching for my character, Valerie, in the woods. Mr McDonnell directed Matty to run round the track surrounding the Open Air Theatre which also went high above it, looking down on the stage and the audience. Meanwhile I was hiding behind a bush at the bottom. It created such an incredible use of levels and made the play so engaging for the audience. We also used the track behind the theatre for me to sneak up on and emerge back through the audience (which gave many quite a shock). There was always something for the audience to look at and made them think outside the box!

Speaking in Tongues was a challenge to put on (but a fun one), due to the nature of the play. A running theme within it is that two different scenes run alongside each other, and you say the same line as the person in the other scene next to you at the same time. This meant as a cast we had to work together very closely. I felt this has really benefited all of us and will help us so much within our A Level Drama and Theatre Studies.

It was a beautiful production to be a part of. It was so interesting from the first rehearsal to final bow. It gave me such a good opportunity to broaden my acting skills and develop my understanding of imagery within theatre.

Rosalind Dyer, Lower Sixth