Drama
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English and Drama are taught together in a single department at The Perse, and are core subjects in the school's curriculum. The department today inherits the celebrated Perse 'Play Way' tradition of teaching English and Drama, which nurtured such eminent figures as the critic F.R. Leavis and the director Sir Peter Hall. At the same time, we are keen to address the exciting modern challenges of our subjects, setting out to introduce all our pupils to the many facets of English and Drama today, enthusing them about: reading; writing; speaking and listening; literacy; drama; literary appreciation and response. We aim to enable all members of the school to flourish academically in our subjects (sometimes as far as the study of them at university - including Oxford and Cambridge) and to acquire an introduction to the central cultural riches of language, literature and the theatre.
Beyond the curriculum, the department organises a wide range of activities in which all Perse pupils can participate, including: an extensive programme of Drama productions; debating and public speaking events; trips to the theatre and other cultural activities; clubs, societies and competitions.
The Department mounts an extensive programme of Drama productions each year, staged mainly in the purpose-built and fully-equipped Theatre. Productions also take place in the Department's studio-classrooms and in other locations around the school (including in the open-air), in Cambridge (including the Mumford Theatre) and at the Edinburgh Festival. We aim to offer pupils in all year groups the opportunity to participate in a production each year - whether as an actor, or by being trained in one of a in a wide variety of backstage/technical roles. Our Drama societies are: The Perse Players; Middle School Drama Club; Junior Drama Club. In conjunction with the school's Community Service programme, our Playmates company mounts an annual touring production of scenes and sketches (which visits primary/prep schools, hospitals and homes for the elderly). Professionals from Anglia Ruskin University run workshop training for our pupil technicians and supervise this aspect of many of our in-house productions.
Recent Productions
These have included:
- The Tempest, The Cherry Orchard, The Burial at Thebes [world amateur premiere of Seamus Heaney's translation of Antigone] and As You Like It (Perse Players productions)
- What the Butler Saw, Man of the Moment, Arcadia, Black Comedy, Woyzeck and The Merchant of Venice (Upper Sixth Plays)
- An Evening of American Drama (Upper Sixth)
- The Servant to Two Masters, The Country Wife, Forty Years On, The Crucible and Hay Fever (Lower Sixth Plays)
- Boleyn and Jack the Ripper (Lower Sixth productions written and produced by members of the Year Group)
- Unman, Wittering and Zigo, Journey's End, Three Parables and An Evening of Short Plays and Sketches by Beckett and Pinter (Fifth Form Plays)
- The Real Inspector Hound, Twelve Angry Men, The Iceman ComethandSpoils of War (Fourth Form Plays)
- 4 annual Third Form Drama Evenings
- The Canterbury Tales, Frankenstein, Beowulf and Sherlock Holmes and the Limehouse Horror(Lower School productions)
- The Lower School Music and Drama Festival
- Boat Memory (world premiere in association with the Royal National Theatre - later transferred to Cambridge Arts Theatre as part of the 'Connections' festival)
In August 2006, the Perse Players' production of The Burial at Thebes transferred to Edinburgh for a six-night run on the Festival Fringe (Venue 42: St. Paul's Church). This successful venture was followed by performances of Black Comedy in Edinburgh in August 2007, which was awarded official 'sell out' status.
The Fourth Form Play in 2007 was a promenade production devised and directed by the award-winning director Ms Holly Race (O.P.).
Visiting Productions
The Department has recently hosted visiting productions of:
- Romeo and Juliet (Black Cat Theatre)
- Macbeth (Black Cat Theatre)
- Huis Clos (Sacre Theatre)
- The Rap Canterbury Tales (Baba Brinkman)
- Of Mice and Men (Arty-Fact Theatre)
Workshops
Recent workshops for pupils have included:
- Stage fighting
- Sound and lighting
- Make-up and body art.
Drama Colours
Drama Colours are awarded at the end of each term. We encourage suitable pupils to audition for the National Youth Theatre, for stage roles in local professional and amateur productions, and for cinema roles. We encourage pupils to make the most of leadership opportunities available by writing, directing and producing plays.