From the Director of Creative Arts, Tina Doyle:
Speech and Drama remains a vital element within the Creative Arts' agenda and student numbers continue to rise. I am lucky to be able to work within a department that is so creative and passionate about the arts and results at the Peterborough Drama Festival continue to be outstanding.
This year, Head of Drama, Mrs. Laing, not only achieved excellent results in both GCSE and A Level Theatre Studies but also produced and directed a version of 'The Canterbury Tales' for Year 9 students. The production entertained audiences for two nights in May and was received with great acclaim.
The major music spectacular this year involving the whole school was 'Annie'. This was a truly joyous experience during both rehearsals and in production. Many of the students began the rehearsal period as inexperienced youngsters but by the end had become seasoned performers. It was a pleasure to watch each child grow as an indivdual both socially and as a performer. Once again the production involved over 100 students from Year 3 upwards.
The Christmas productions prepared us for all the festivities. Numerous seasonal stories told by colourful characters with panache and jolly Christmas songs stirring the audience to sing along were the main ingredients of the junior shows, 'Panto Pandemonium' and 'Penguin Pete'.
A new play by Christina Reid called 'A Year and a Day' provided our National Theatre Connections contribution for 2007. The play, a ghost story, explored the nature of humanity on many different levels. Punctuated by music, light and humour, the love of two young people scrutinised and manipulated by corrupt powerful leaders to their inevitable death left many questions in one's mind in this ethereal assault on the senses. Initially performed at the school before an adjudicator and commended for its interpretation, the play went on the be performed at the regional final at the Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, where our young actors gained invaluable experience by performing in a professional venue alongside other schools and youth theatre groups.
The remaining improvements to the performance and practice facilities with the completion of the Centre for Creative Arts are greatly anticipated and we look forward to some more fabulous productions in 2007/08 - watch out for details of 'The Wizard of Oz' in November! |
