House Drama and Winter Play

It was another triumphant half-term for Drama at Mill Hill School as the much-anticipated House Drama Festival returned.

Twelve houses, each one produced, directed, performed and (often) wrote a play. Pupils of an individual house took to the stage over three nights in a joyous celebration of the school’s talent and community spirit. It was perhaps the only place in London that week where you could see an original play inspired by US cringe-doc Toddlers in Tiaras performed alongside a 15-minute rendition of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.

“The quality has been incredible,” said actor, playwright and House Drama judge Rosa Hesmondhalgh in her closing remarks during the Grand Final. “The fact that the young people of Mill Hill are creating work of this level of detail and nuance at this age suggests that the future of theatre is incredibly bright!”

It is a testament to the writing talent of the School that the Final, in which four selected plays performed again to industry specialists, included three original scripts: Priestley’s Showtime, in which chaos befalls the backstage of an awards ceremony; Nigel! by Winfield, following the escapades of an inept accountant-turned-spy; and Miss Mayhem performed by eventual winners Atkinson, inspired by the aforementioned child beauty pageants. Cedars’s modern and moving adaptation of A Christmas Carol rounded out the evening, featuring stunning performances and an infectious atmosphere.

However, beyond the Final, all twelve Houses should be incredibly proud of the work they produced and there is little doubt that friendships and memories forged during rehearsals will last a life time. As the character’s in Miss Mayhem learned, what matters far more than winning is the more of community, friendship and mutual support, which at the end of the day reflects House Drama in a nutshell.

We were spoiled with even more dramatic brilliance just two weeks later as the Remove pupils took to the stage with a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Starring Krishan D as Christopher Boone and a faultless ensemble creating the confusing, daunting world around him, the pupils brought the beloved story to life with tremendous energy and flair.

The play also featured a pre-show art exhibition by our incredible art scholars. The project, inspired by work of neurodivergent artist and activist Mahlia Amatina, explored the neurodivergent sensory experience and allowed the audience to literally step into the themes of the story they were about to watch. It was a triumphant multi-discipline display, with performance and art working together to immerse the audience and raise awareness surrounding neurodiversity and Autism Spectrum Disorder. The evening was truly a testament to the power of theatre and art not just to entertain, but to make the world a better place.