The story follows Dionysus and his slave , Xanthias ( played by Edward Brown , Anna Burrows and Gemma Bianco ) going into the underworld to revive a poet , as he believes none of the writers are any good any more .
Along the way they encounter various trials , from having to row a boat while being annoyed by a chorus of frogs , to dancing with a group of underworld initiates , and even being whipped on stage by the fearsome Ascus ( Camilla Savelieva ). Despite the relatively short rehearsal time , and illness spreading around the cast , the rehearsing process was relaxed and efficient , and ended up creating a production that was enjoyed by all .
The rehearsals began open-mindedly . We started by working on the frogs ’ scene and ideas came from anywhere , including a small idea from as far back as the casting reaching the final performance . I have happy memories of an entire cast of actors bouncing around as frogs , not sure what to think , but enjoying it nonetheless !
One of the most important aspects of this play is a dramatic technique called choral work ( groups of people acting as one group ). By doing drama games and working as a group to create the play , we not only improved the quality of the scenes where a group mindset was required , but it also brought us closer together as people and allowed us to have fun . This was especially needed for the second half of the play where the entire cast was on stage the whole time as an audience during a debate between Aeschylus , Euripides and Sophocles ( Lawrence Lingard , Evie Jansen and Paul Taylor ) to decide who Dionysius was going to send back up to the mortal world .
Thank you to all the staff and students who participated in The Frogs , particularly the directors , and Miss Grant for her magic backstage . I ’ m sure we ’ d all agree that it was a blast !
Lawrence Lingard , Year 10
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2022-2023 45