Drama

The Drama department at Channing aims to provide a stimulating and rewarding environment where students are given the chance to excel.  We have two purpose-built drama spaces, one proscenium arch stage and one intimate studio space.
 The objectives are:

• To help each student develop their creative potential and performing skills
• To learn to appreciate the craft of theatre
• To understand the language of Drama and its major genres and dramatic forms.

Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)

Drama is part of the timetabled curriculum in Years 7 & 9. Students are introduced to the basic building blocks upon which successful Drama can flourish. Students learn a variety of skills aimed to improve confidence and the ability to work as a team.

The Drama curriculum covers improvisation and script work in different styles and genres, for example Physical Theatre and Commedia dell'Arte.  A Shakespeare play is studied in each year, with an emphasis on interpretation and performance. Students are given different stimuli from various times and cultures to explore through the medium of Drama. At the end of Year 9, students will perform a play to an audience. Students are assessed on the process of creating Drama - group skills, speaking and listening and the performance of Drama - voice, facial expressions and movement.   

Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11)

This course aims to develop confidence, group work and improvisation and performance skills.  A range of issues are explored using different drama techniques. Students will create their own work as well as looking at plays written by other people for example, Blood Brothers by Willy Russell or JB Priestley's An Inspector Calls. They will also learn about drama practitioners. There is a strong emphasis upon group commitment. There is a written portfolio of documentary evidence.
We will go on theatre trips and they will evaluate the acting, set, lights and costume in a theatre review.
Students can perform an extract from a published play or create their own improvisation in a group, to perform to an external examiner. There is also a technical option from either lighting/sound, set design or costume and make-up.

Key Stage 5 (Years 12 & 13)

AS and A2 Drama and Theatre Studies is a popular and successful subject at Channing. 
The course offers a stimulating mixture of creative and collaborative practical work, textual study and theatre visits are followed by discussion and analysis. Students take written examinations based on set texts and productions seen.  AS students produce a group performance of an extract from a published play, in the style of their chosen practitioner.  A2 students devise, direct, design and perform in an original play. There is also a technical option of designing for the theatre productions either, costume, set, sound or lighting.

Extra-Curricular

There are a number of ways for girls to be involved in drama throughout the school - either by participating onstage, or by helping out backstage and with the technical elements.

There is a Year 7 and 8 Drama club after school and a whole-school production every year. Enthusiastic Sixth Formers run the KS4 drama club. There is also the opportunity for girls to organise and produce productions on their own.