There are several opportunities throughout the academic year for girls of all ages to be involved in Drama.
The School Play
This is open to girls throughout the school, although some productions are not appropriate for the youngest girls. The school play is directed by our Head of Department.
As part of our centenary year celebrations, we performed a large scale school production at The Riverside Studios, Echo in the Memory, with a cast of 100. For this production, we hired professional stage managers and designers, and the production was filmed and made into a wonderful high-quality DVD.
The completion of our new 340 seat, state-of-the-art performance space, the Bishop Centre, will provide further opportunities for large-scale productions.
The LV Play
This production is open to girls in the LV, and is a wonderful opportunity for girls to be involved in a large-scale production in either a performance or technical capacity.
Musicals
We have performed musicals in the Cochrane Theatre, the Westminster Theatre (twice), the Lyric Hammersmith (three times) and St Paul’s Church Hammersmith. These are always large-scale productions with professional design, lighting design and stage management.
The 6th Form Production
In the Sixth Form, girls are able to take on the role of Director and Producer, and produce their own production with a cast made up of LVI and UVI actors. The production is made up of two one-act plays, selected by the girls, and is a popular way for sixth form girls to get involved in drama and theatre.
The LIV and UIV Form Plays
At the end of each summer term, the LIV and UIV forms produce short plays for an audience made up of parents. Directed by sixth form students, the LIV and UIV form plays have become a much-loved tradition at our school. Each girl in the form has the opportunity to take on a performance or technical role, and the plays are a wonderful way to end the academic year.
The Community Drama Project is an after-school club that meets once a week. It is available to girls in the LIV and UIV and leads to twice-yearly performances to Key Stage 1 and 2 children from local primary schools. The girls perform to the children, and then lead them in a drama workshop followed by afternoon tea.
The Drama Society
This club is an initiative invented and run by our sixth form students, and is open to all ages. The club meet once a week at lunch time, and girls are able to take part in fun drama activities, games and improvisations, whilst developing their group skills, performance skills and social skills all at once.
Edinburgh Festival
We have been to the Fringe Festival five times in the last twelve years, performing at the Festival Club, the Hill Street Theatre and C venue.
The National Theatre
We were invited to perform at the Cottesloe Theatre as part of the RNT’s International Connections Festival.
Girls are also encouraged to audition for summer schools and youth theatre groups run by RADA, Central School of Speech and Drama and the National Theatre. We have had casting agents visit our school, and cast our girls in feature films such as Atonement and Harry Potter.
