Celebrating Excellence in Drama at Chase Grammar School

Excellence in Drama at Chase Grammar School

Here at Chase Grammar School, we have a popular and thriving Drama department. Not only is Drama a fantastic way to explore Theatre in all its forms, it is also equally just as important to allow children to increase their ability to think creatively, imaginatively and divergently and to allow them to think critically about society around them and develop key social and emotional skills.

Throughout this academic year there have been many opportunities for students to showcase their acting skills. Starting off in the autumn term we put on the increasingly popular, Performance Showcase. Students from the Prep and Senior school performed extracts from Matilda the Musical and Shakers the play, that they had been rehearsing in their upper and lower school drama enrichments.

GCSE and A-Level Drama students also took to the stage to share the work that they had been devising in lessons in preparation for their exams. Lucy, our Year 12 A-Level student, performed an emotional devised piece based on grief and how it can affect relationships, inspired by the innovative drama practitioners, Frantic Assembly. The evening was a great success, and it was particularly encouraging for participants to see a full audience of parents and supportive peers.

Throughout the academic year students who were part of the Production enrichment worked tirelessly during enrichments, after school, and on weekends to put on an outstanding performance of The Addams Family (you will already have noticed the featured photographs from this production so far in this blog!). Both performances were excellent and showcased the immense talent that we have here at Chase. All students involved had a wonderful time and gained valuable skills and knowledge on how a script goes from page to stage and working closely with peers from across the school. Parents and teachers commented on how talented our students are and how fantastically funny the show was from start to finish.

Coming in the summer term we have Prize Giving. Students in the prep school have been showing their resilience and determination in rehearsing and learning lines for their roles in order to put on a spectacular performance for their parents. They will be performing extracts from Joseph and the Technicoloured Dreamcoat, Shrek the Musical and Harry Potter.

In Drama we also offer gifted and talented sessions, for example theatrical makeup master classes where students learn how to create realistic wounds using special effects makeup. This is an insightful opportunity for students as they learn the importance of special effects and how it can create illusions for the audience.

And finally, during their time as a GCSE or A-Level student here at Chase, students will get to experience being part of a live audience and watch a professional show. Our most recent being Life of Pi at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. Students were able to experience mesmerising puppetry complimented by a compelling storyline and excellent acting. Year 11 and 12 Drama students left the theatre feeling inspired and in awe of the professionals that they had seen on stage.

We look forward to continuing to share the work of our talented students throughout the new academic year and begin rehearsals on the whole school production of Mary Poppins which will without a doubt be Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!