Extra-curricular Drama opportunities are many at St. Catherine's, starting with weekly LAMDA classes for individuals or groups of girls who work towards certificates at many different levels up to Gold Medal Acting. Examinations can be taken at two sessions during the year, at the end of the autumn and spring terms. For more information about LAMDA, talk to Mrs Green, in charge of LAMDA, or email her on maggie.green@stcatherines.info
The House Drama competition in December is a major highlight of the school year and an excellent training ground for young actresses and a show case for the more experienced. Every girl in the school has the chance to take part in a short play on a set theme, written and directed by the 6th form girls and House Captains, and rehearsed during House lunches. Themes are set by the House Mistresses and popular themes to date have included cautionary tales and famous women. Every year a prestigious guest adjudicator pronounces the winners and awards go to the best performed play, best script, and the best actress which will no doubt be as hotly contested as ever in this celebratory year.
Two major School Drama Productions take place during the year: the Middle School production in October just before Half Term, and the Senior Production, in February just before Half Term. Both are for auditioned casts, but there are as many roles for the girls to become involved in backstage as on stage, in stage management, lighting, sound, wardrobe, props and publicity.
M.Lewis - Director of Drama
'Blood Wedding' - March 2012
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The Senior School Production, under the enthusiastic directorial guidance of the new Director of Drama, Ms Madeleine Lewis, Lorca’s celebrated tragedy, 'Blood Wedding', became a reality to audiences that were left spellbound by the power of the text and its performance. |
House Drama 2011
| Each house was allocated a wellknown fairy tale to modernize – and we witnessed wonderful use of the huge stage space. Out in the audience we could all see everything clearly from a wonderful vantage point and a comfy seat! It was a delighted to see that vast casts can now work with ease and do far more creative things. We have, for example,seen some outstanding physical theatre: human hatstands and lamp posts, steam trains, etc.; creative dance sequences – a fire in ballet; parallel crowd scenes – moving from classroom to classroom in one corridor; the use of film; the flexibility of the starcloth in its multi coloured formats (Thank you to the PTA for that); freeze frames of all kinds, touching dialogue moments and very witty asides and exchanges from all manner of character types. |
