The School has a strong tradition of using live theatre to support drama studies for pupils of all levels. This year iGCSE and A-Level Drama pupils have had the opportunity to watch ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ by Agatha Christie at County Hall, ‘Our Country’s Good’ by Timberlake Wertenbaker, ‘Metamorphosis’ by Frantic Assembly both at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, ‘Mnemonic’ by Complicite and ‘The Father & The Assassin’ by Anupama Chandrasekhar, both at the Olivier Theatre, and ‘The Ocean At The End Of The Lane’ by Neil Gaiman at the Duke of York’s.

Building on this tradition, the department has introduced an innovative approach with cross-curricular theatre visits. These trips connect the subjects pupils are studying with live performances, giving them the opportunity to experience theatre in a more practical and relevant way.

Cross-curricular visits have included ‘Macbeth’ at the Harold Pinter Theatre with the English Department, starring David Tennant, ‘Oedipus’ at Wyndham’s Theatre with the Classics Department, directed by Robert Icke, and ‘Kyoto’ at Soho Place with the Geography Department, a play about climate change and the 1997 COP3 summit in Japan.

More recently, the Drama and PE Departments took their scholar pupils to see ‘Dear England’ by James Graham at the National Theatre. This play focuses on Gareth Southgate’s time as Head Coach of the England football team and explores themes of loss, resilience and the pressure faced by public figures.

These cross-curricular theatre visits not only support academic learning but also offer pupils the chance to engage with live arts, broadening their cultural understanding and helping to develop their creativity, empathy, and emotional intelligence.

Building on the success of these trips, the Drama Department is excited to continue offering them and hopes to make them a regular part of the school calendar in the years ahead.