News
It has been an incredibly exciting Half Term for Drama at Mill Hill School. We started the academic year with our production of Jessica Swale’s Blue Stockings, a poignant and heart-warming tale about the first woman to study at Cambridge University. The 17-strong cast shone throughout – not least because of Alex C’s (School) fantastic lighting – and the production was expertly co-directed by Alfie C (Winfield).
‘Taking part in Blue Stockings was such an amazing experience,’ said Io F (School). ‘I became friends with people I didn’t know beforehand and I will never forget it.’
Rehearsals are underway for the much-anticipated House Drama Festival, with twelve Houses working hard to produce their very own piece of theatre in just a few weeks. The week promises an electric variety of comedy, drama, and a huge number of entirely original play scripts, written by the pupils. Please see the Friday newsletter for more details on the schedule and how to book your tickets.
We have also been lucky enough to watch two professional theatre productions this term. Seventy pupils travelled into London’s West End for a co-curricular trip to Grease, a rip-roaring, modern take on the beloved musical. ‘I really loved the whole ensemble songs’, said Livvy S (Winfield). ‘Especially the iconic opening number – the dance was incredible!’ Noah S (Atkinson), a fantastic theatre technician, appreciated the lighting design in particular. ‘It helped me see how different lights were used and what effects they created, as well as how they were used to portray different people.’ We were also privileged to take Fifth Form Drama GCSE pupils to Blood Brothers at the Oxford Playhouse. As the set text for their GCSE exam, pupils gained valuable insight into possible performance and directorial choices for key scenes, and came away with a newfound appreciation of how the play could be brought to life.
Finally, we are incredibly excited to have held auditions for a further two Drama productions: Mill Hill Broadway, a musical theatre showcase, where pupils will perform classic and contemporary songs from the musical theatre canon; Where There’s A Will, There’s A Play, co-written by Amelie S (McClure), and it will see William Shakespeare put on trial, accused on ruining the lives of school students across Britain.
We look forward to presenting these two fantastic productions later in the year.
Mr Gatherer
Director of Theatrical Performance
