Summer Drama Club Round Up

Drama Club (I couldn’t think up a more imaginative name) has pushed me to enter the foreign land of teaching. I am aware that a group of a few Fourth Formers is might not be considered high maintenance by the teachers at this school, but for me it feels like a good start.

We have covered a broad range of topics over the last six weeks, touching on different aspects of drama and theatre (from reciting Shakespeare to improvising scenes about fighting for a seat on the bus). I’ll be honest - initially it was daunting! It undoubtedly helps that the people who attend are entirely willing to throw themselves into anything, like choreographing chair duets and looking at techniques from the theatre practitioners Frantic Assembly, which for some, will lead into next term’s production of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ (see the subtle early ticket advertising?).

I feel in much greater awe of Ms Clarke for leading multiple drama lessons a week to a GCSE class. I ended up scribbling notes in a notebook before each session, because I found there was a tendency to forget my train of thought halfway through a sentence. The key, possibly, is to make sure they think you know what you are doing, and then to get them standing up and practicing quickly - drama is easier when you aren’t sitting down.

This week saw the final session this term, but I aim to keep the club running next year, by which time I will have thought of some other ideas for sessions. One of the correct way to say ‘To be or not to be’ might be an idea...