Drama and Theatre Studies

Drama is offered at GSCE, AS level and A level as an exam subject and is also an option for IB.  We work in an open drama studio and the Meade King Hall - both providing space and technical facilities suitable for this subject.

All courses involve both practical work (acting, directing & design) and theory (studying the work of significant theatre practitioners, studying and performing play texts, and seeing a wide range of performances in the theatre.

Currently the AS course uses - A Dolls House - Isben

whilst the A level students are looking at - Our Countries Good - Wertenbaker, and Tartuffe - Moliere

GCSE students are studying - Blue Remembered Hills - Potter, and Blood Brothers - Russell

IB students use a range of texts to explore drama from different clutures.  Students on all the courses are encouraged to look at texts from a practical perspective - as an actor, director or designer.  They also have to perform a short piece to an audience.  At AS the students select an extract from a play they wish to perform, whilst at Alevel students devise a piece of Theatre themselves.  The GCSE course focuses on  a range of projects aimed at developing acting skills through improvisation, Thematic devised work and text performance.  The GCSE exam has a 60% weighting on coursework and 40% written exam based on texts studied or performances watched.  The A level exams are 40% coursework and 60% written.  IB is assessed both internally and externally throughout the two year course.  The standard of performances by the exam groups was excellent this year and provided several evenings of first class entertainment, topped off with excellent exam results.

In addition to the academic study required on this course there is great opportunity for self-expression, confidence building, collaboration with other members of the group and a chance to develop a love of the theatre.  Last year students saw productions at the Drum and Theatre Royal in Plymouth and travelled to TR2 in Plymouth for a variety of workshops.

A drama club offers all budding actors in the school a chance to express themselves, learn a little more about stage craft and acting skills have fun and perform on stage at the end of the year.  The recent Lower School production of The 39 Steps was a huge success. The acting was superb - the costumes were truly amazing and the comedy value was immense! For a review of the production please click here.

The "House Drama Competition" is always undertaken with huge enthuseasm and a lot of hard work from the pupils themselves.  The theme of 'Pantomime' provided a highly entertaining evening with excellent performances from pupils throughout the school.