2025 – 2025 Highlights: Drama and Theatre Studies

This year has been one of the most exciting and ambitious yet for the Drama Department. With strong A Level numbers and our largest-ever GCSE cohort, including three thriving Year 10 classes, Drama continues to go from strength to strength across the school.

Key Stages 4 and 5 embraced bold and innovative theatre-making throughout the year. Year 10 devised original pieces inspired by Frantic Assembly and The Paper Birds, exploring themes including body image, social media, mental health, sexism in the workplace, homelessness and even alien encounters through physical theatre and verbatim techniques. What stood out most was the maturity and commitment shown across all groups. Challenging subject matter was handled with sensitivity, while strong ensemble work and a willingness to take creative risks resulted in some truly impressive theatre.

Year 11 demonstrated their versatility through scripted extracts from a diverse range of plays, including The Wasp, the supernatural thriller and dark comedy Apex Predator, and the romantic comedy Emma. Many of these texts were explored and performed for the first time within the department as part of our commitment to broadening the range of plays studied and introducing new theatrical challenges. In their final examined performances, the cohort rose to the occasion, displaying thoughtful characterisation and a mature understanding of contrasting styles and genres.

Year 12 brought fresh perspectives to Loot and A Doll’s House. Their adaptation of Loot, inspired by Kneehigh Theatre, incorporated puppetry, live music and dance, while A Doll’s House drew on the work of Katie Mitchell, using live video and a distinctly female lens to create a bold modern interpretation set in London during the 2008 global financial crisis.

One of the most powerful pieces of theatre this year came from Year 13. Their devised production, Jewish, was created by a class of five young Jewish women exploring identity, heritage and belonging within the current political climate. Influenced by The Paper Birds and verbatim theatre techniques, the work was deeply personal, courageous and thought-provoking, demonstrating how theatre can give voice to lived experience and spark meaningful conversations.

Another highlight of the year was our Key Stage 4 and 5 theatre trip to see Into the Woods at the Lyric Hammersmith, one of our most popular visits to date. The inventive staging, storytelling and theatrical flair left a lasting impression, with students returning full of ideas and inspiration to bring back into their own work.

Arguably the most anticipated event in the school calendar, however, was this year’s school musical, Hadestown. Demand rivalled the frenzy of securing Glastonbury tickets, with performances selling out rapidly as excitement spread throughout the school community. Following a visit from the School Theatre Awards critics, the production received multiple nominations, including Best Musical, Best Actress, and Best Ensemble—a fitting recognition of the extraordinary hard work and dedication of Ms Hill, Mr Boxall, Ms Bacon, Mr Maliphant-Gray, Jess Maliphant-Gray, Rachel Angus, and the outstanding cast and technical team. The show was a phenomenal success, highlighting the immense talent, commitment, and professionalism of everyone involved. Serrana crowned the achievement by winning Best Female Musical Solo for her performance as Persephone.

Our Year 7 and 8 cast then kept the momentum going with a delightful production of James and the Giant Peach. It was a joy to direct such a beloved classic and reimagine it through bold staging choices, including shadow puppetry and projection, alongside our original concept, Trotters Story Circus, which helped shape the imaginative and playful world of the production.

This has been a landmark year for Drama: ambitious, adventurous and constantly evolving. Above all, it has been shaped by young people willing to step outside their comfort zones, tell important stories and throw themselves wholeheartedly into the magic of theatre.

Miss Vince/Acting Director of Drama