Drama

Drama is taught at all key stages in our recently-built, two storey performing arts block.

Year 7
In Year 7 the focus is on group activities where pupils are encouraged to develop their ability to work as part of a team, to negotiate their ideas and evaluate their achievements and that of others. There is a thriving year 7 drama club run by the Sixth Form drama captains and where pupils develop their improvisation skills and prepare and perform a number of short plays. Year 7 students also have the opportunity to prepare and perform for Open Evening and this is a popular option for many newcomers to make their “stage debut”.
 
Year 8
Year 8 pupils learn more sophisticated drama techniques and have many opportunities to devise their own performances. They also study a selected scripted play helping to improve their abilities to ‘build’ and ‘sustain’ a character.
 
The year 8 lunchtime drama club is a popular option and again, is organised and run by Sixth Form drama students. Pupils work towards a public performance which is usually performed at the beginning of the Spring Term. All year 8 pupils get the opportunity to perform in the main school production at Christmas.
 
Year 9
Year 9 is a particularly invigorating year as pupils learn how to create different moods on stage and explore many different texts and approaches, including using live sound, music and stage lighting to intensify their performances. In the spring term the students undertake the study of a selected play and begin to work in much more depth on character development, staging, lighting and design. Written work is introduced and all students take a written examination in the summer term. The year is structured in a similar way to GCSE drama giving pupils an insight into a possible GCSE option.
 
Year 9 pupils are offered the opportunity to audition for a principal role in the main school production.
 
Years 10 -13
Year 10 and 11 GCSE Drama is a very popular option with around 85% of pupils gaining A and A* grades. Pupils enjoy regular theatre trips, practical workshops and study a range of challenging and thought-provoking texts.
 
A Level drama is an intricate, varied and stimulating opportunity for pupils to broaden their knowledge base around the role of theatre in our society. They develop new and vitalising practical skills. They experiment with different theatre styles and develop their knowledge about drama in other cultures. Having studied a wide variety of play texts, pupils are not only encouraged to write from a directorial and performance point of view about certain characters, but they also develop their understanding of the technical aspects of theatre, including how lighting, sound, setting and costume help to create holistic effects on stage. The life and works of theatre practitioners are also studied in order to help influence the ideas, style and situations that the pupils create themselves on stage.

As part of their coursework pupils can choose from an exciting range of disciplines in which to work in. These include: devised thematic work, physical theatre, theatre in education, improvisation, costume and lighting. The written examination tests the pupils’ ability to understand and evaluate both the practical and scripted pieces that they have worked on throughout the course and they also have the option to review a live production seen.

A range of texts from different periods are studied, students enjoy regular trips to the theatre and a variety of practical workshops with specialist practitioners. In year 12 students participate in the Maidenhead Drama Festival generally giving award winning performances!  In April 2008 our drama students were selected to participate in the All England Festival on the Isle of Man.
 
DRAMA SCHOLARSHIPS are available at year 7 and year 12 entry levels.   Further details can be obtained from Miss May on 01344 624291, ext 130
 
LAMDA
LAMDA Speech and Drama is available to pupils from year 7 to 13. It is taught on a rolling timetable and many pupils benefit from this inspiring opportunity to increase their confidence, develop their understanding of poetry, prose and drama and gain invaluable presentation skills.
 
SCHOOL PRODUCTIONS
We put on one main production a year – usually a musical which is cast at the beginning of the autumn term and performed before Christmas.  Past productions have included:

  • Oliver
  • Daisy pulls it off!
  • Orpheus in the Underworld
  • Guys and Dolls
  • 101 Dalmatians
  • Midmacmayhem
  • Titanic and Suffragettes
  • Sepia and Song
  • Coppelia
  • The Snow Queen
  • The 2010 Show

We are currently working on a School production of Annie the Musical, production dates coming soon.

As well as the main school productions there are opportunities for pupils to experience studio performances of GCSE, AS and A2 performance work.
 
The House Drama competition is a popular event where the House Captains devise a performance for the lower years. This is then judged in an end of term performance and always creates great excitement for audience and participants alike.