Writes Cheryl Clarke, Director of Drama, Parth D. (Divs) and Dylan M. (Divs)
GCSE Drama students went see a performance of one of their set texts, Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. Next to Richmond Green, a setting far removed from the backstreets of inner-city Liverpool, the trip began with the customary pre-theatre excursion to a local supermarket for snacks. Upon entering the beautiful Richmond Theatre, the audience, young and old, settled in for a classic Thursday afternoon matinee. Running in the West End for 24 years and on tour ever since, the show has stood the test of time; the boys loved it which bodes well for their detailed study of performance and design elements in preparation for their GCSE Drama Exam.
Thanks to Mr Gimmi and Mrs Chamberlain for supporting another dramatic venture. Thanks also to the Divisions boys who were a great group to take to the theatre and represented the school very well.
Parth D. (Divs) worked backstage for the recent Junior Production of Private Peaceful and is on the Technical Team for the upcoming Joint Musical Guys and Dolls. He writes about the design & technical elements of the show:
Thank you for the amazing trip and the opportunity to write about a subject I greatly enjoy. The design and technical aspects of the one hundred-and twenty-seven-year-old theatre rivalled that of the West End!
The proscenium marble arch encased the marvellous stage which was constituted by two opposing brick walls.
These walls had two doors each and balconies, and a few tall cutouts for actors to enter stage. Upstage, there was a high bridge. The detail was astonishing; each character or type of interaction had its own colour profile. Scenes linking the two protagonists, Eddie and Mickey, used Fresnel lighting, often red, to remind the audience of the direct blood relation between the two characters. Lighting is called LX, and sound effects SFX. Speakers were placed all around the theatre and as the scenes developed and intensified the audio shifted, originally appearing to come from stage, and slowly shifting towards the audience. This was carried out by increasing the volume of speakers facing the audience and decreasing the ones above audience facing actors. The flies held many flats which were flown in and, using broader spotlights, the audience were “taken” into an entirely different part of stage. The subtle costume choices for the play set in the 1960s to 80s along with time-specific props were so detailed that words cannot express my excitement. The GCSE Drama trip gave us a great insight into the play both technically and dramatically. It gave a voice and profile to the characters we had analysed and performed during our Drama lessons.
Dylan M. (Divs) performed in this year’s Senior Play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and has recently been cast in the next Joint Play at St Helen’s, The Wind in the Willows. He writes about acting in the show:
The acting was particularly engaging because the main characters were played with intense emotion and realism. The actors playing Mickey and Edward had distinct personalities, which emphasised the differences between the twins. At first, Mickey appeared to be an amusing and funny character with his energetic and cheeky behaviour. This was shown through the abrupt and fidgety movement of the actor as he played Mickey. However, as the plot moved forward, he became increasingly desperate and tragic, therefore the actor moved much less, and his head was usually down. On the other hand, Edward was presented as more self-assured due to his privileged background. The actor did this by maintaining an upright posture and always having controlled and slower movements. It is necessary to mention that Mrs Johnstone, played by an actress, delivered a very impressive and emotional performance, especially when she was in a state of despair. Her performance during songs such as “Tell Me It’s Not True” was especially moving, as she conveyed deep grief and regret in a way that made the audience sympathise with her character.
