It has been a very busy year in the Drama Department. Miss Davenport went on maternity leave during the first term to have her second child. I took over as acting Head of Drama and to my delight Mrs Thomas-Webb assumed control of the Junior School Play!
Our production this year was Willy Russell’s musical comedy, ‘Our Day Out’. It tells the story of a group of disadvantaged kids who cause havoc when taken out for the day by their teachers. The cast of over forty members of the Junior School acted, sang, danced and thoroughly entertained their audiences, playing to packed houses every night.
They were ably supported by pupils in Years 10-13 who formed the band. A charity raffle was also held each night and raised £450 for the NSPCC.
On Tuesday 9th May the cast, band and crew had a Royal Russell Oscar ceremony – the ROSCARS. Dress was formal and pupils arrived in style for drinks (non-alcoholic) and nibbles in Great Hall.
This was followed by a formal supper in the Dining Hall before we headed to the Lecture Theatre for selected highlights from the DVD of the play on the big screen. The evening concluded with the presentation of certificates and ROSCARS by the Headmaster. Prior to the event everybody involved with the production had been invited to vote in a number of categories from best actor/actress to best group bow. It proved a most entertaining and enjoyable event and certainly made a change from the usual after-show party.
At the end of April we saw our AS and A2 students perform their end-of-year and final presentations. We stretched the edges of the Drama Studio and had a full house. Just two weeks later, we did it all over again with our GCSE students. They had three performances on offer, and their audience waited very patiently while we changed sets and casts and the examiner deliberated. A nerve-racking moment!
At Christmas, we went with the senior students to the National Theatre to see ‘Coram Boy’. This provided invaluable input for many students’ work through the year, not least Year 11, for whom it formed one section of their coursework. We had a great day when ‘Tangled Feet’ came in to help senior students develop their practical exam work. One of the team was Alex Ramsden, who continues to run the very successful Trinity Acting Sessions. The students involved in these classes all took part in a final examined piece, which this year resulted in merits and distinctions all round.
I am once again very grateful to the parents for their support: helping students learn lines, making props, and especially for coming to watch our exam pieces; I appreciate how difficult this is in a working week. We do not make drama for ourselves, but for an audience, so your presence makes our work worth while. Thankfully the examiner shared our enthusiasm, returning 100% results for GCSE, AS and A2; in the case of GCSE, all students achieved A*, A or B grades. Well done to all the pupils involved!
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