CO-CURRICULAR DRAMA
CO-CURRICULAR DRAMA
We try to maximise student ownership and responsibility, enabling students to get much more out of each project
A strong spirit of ambition and experimentation runs through The Sevenoaks School Theatre Company. In the first year after the opening of The Space, a 50-strong cast brought the Odyssey alive as a promenade journey around the building. The company’ s programme features challenging and culturally significant texts, both modern and classic.
Every two years the department creates a production to tour to schools in Germany during the Michaelmas half term, such as Jane Eyre, Gatsby and The Winter’ s Tale.
There is a drama club for every age group and each year five major productions are mounted, including the Lower Sixth play. We place particular emphasis on the artistic process undertaken by students to maximise ownership, responsibility and working as part of a team.
Senior performers grow into theatre makers rather than just actors. Students also take key responsibilities in design and production roles. A reliable source and training ground for such students is the Space Technical Team, mentored by the building’ s professional technicians. Students operate lighting and sound for all projects, and often for visiting professional shows as well.
Alongside the main productions, which are mounted in the 230-seat Sackville Theatre, a number of smaller studio projects are hosted in the Drama Studio. These include many studentdirected plays, experimental work, GCSE and IB practical assessments, plus Trinity / LAMDA showcase evenings. The Sackville Theatre Company( made up of students who have recently left the school) have performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with student directed or devised work from their time in the Sixth Form.
The Sackville Theatre is also an emerging venue for small and middle-scale professional theatre, programmed for the school and local community. We have been lucky to host a diverse range of national and international touring theatre.
THE IB AT SEVENOAKS | CREATIVITY, ACTION, SERVICE 47