There is a Senior Drama and a Junior Drama production each year. Also, every other year, the House Arts Competition includes a substantial amount of drama. There is a lot of enthusiasm for these events. Senior girls take on much of the responsibility for directing, administration, and technical support. They carry these projects through with great style and initiative.

In recent years, we have upgraded lights and other technical equipment. There is great interest among senior girls to run the technical side of the productions. The Performing Arts Suite is in regular use for rehearsals and performances.

Here are some extracts from notes on recent productions.

An Inspector Calls (Junior Drama Summer 2003).The intriguing plot of the mystery inspector who reveals the moral laxity of the privileged classes was brought vividly to life. The actresses really lived the parts; the crispness of cues and interplay between characters was excellent; the girls spoke with conviction and projected well and the tone and pace were constantly upbeat.

Extracts from four plays: A View from the Bridge, The Great Gatsby, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Romeo and Juliet. Each house chose a theme and then worked on an interpretation of a classic story to illustrate that theme. Each of the four performances was distinct and individual in style and mood. House Arts Festival, autumn 2004.

The Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet (Junior Drama, summer 2005). The trial scene in The Merchant of Venice was powerful, moving and gripped the audience. Romeo and Juliet provided lots of opportunity to celebrate youth and to supplement Shakespeare with dance and music. In the programme important issues in the plays were addressed in extracts from GCSE coursework from the year group that were in charge of direction.

In Senior Drama we have developed a tradition of presenting lively, colourful interpretations of European classics (Antigone, Moliere’s Scapino, Yevgeny Schwarz’s The Dragon). These were followed by Hamlet, with the text pruned, a Chorus added and some daring sword fighting. Enthusiasm for fresh interpretations of Shakespeare led to A Midsummer Night’s Dream the following year, which was by turns magical, cynical and very funny. Macbeth had powerful performances and direction and made excellent use of the two performance levels in the Performing Arts area. In December 2005 the Senior Drama production was Tom Stoppards ‘The Real Inspector Hound’. The 2006-07 Senior Drama production was a vivid, imaginative interpretation of Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. The Forest of Arden was imaginatively recreated for our 2008 production of As You Like It and, in 2010, students performed Shakespeare's romance 'The Tempest'. The minimalist staging of Harold Brighouse's Edwardian comedy, 'Hobson Choice' in 2011 ensured that the actors' skills were foregrounded, leaving audiences hugely impressed by the dramatic ability on display. In our centenary year, we look back with pride on the variety and quality of our school's dramatic productions, and look forward to celebrating the many talents of our students in the years to come.

Dress Rehearsals for A Midsummer Night's Dream Senior Drama Production

House Arts Review 2007