Keen competition at this year’s Senior House Drama

Each House was given a stimulus based around the theme of ‘Infamous People’ for this year’s Senior School Drama competition with a cast of students spanning Years 9-13 spending the day devising their pieces. The standard was high, with great performances from every house. This year’s adjudicator, actor and writer Joe Eyre, had a really tough choice when deliberating the winners in each category, and it was easy to see why.

Leeman’s were up first, producing a comical and modern twist on the infamous Blackbeard with a particularly entertaining performance from Harry Taylor whose comic timing had the whole audience laughing. McGill’s were next, with ambitious direction for their performance based on Bonnie and Clyde. Daniel Shores and Zacky Agama were particularly impressive as the detectives, whilst the rest of the cast produced an excellent ensemble piece. Kennedy’s were runner up for best show, with the poignant performances by Tega Ogufere and Joe Gasper striking a chord with audience members. Special mention should also go to Kewve Ogufere for his thought-provoking direction of this piece which effectively considered the many rumours behind the infamous Dick Turpin.

Riding’s House took inspiration from their stimulus of Jack the Ripper and produced a dark comedy surrounding this elusive historical figure. The moments of comedy contrasted well with the serious tone of the police interrogation scenes, with standout performances from Subhan Iqbal and Will Judge. One of the biggest successes of the night was Beevor’s with their piece on Al Capone, receiving the ‘Best Director’ award for House Captain Louis Slater. Louis’ depiction of Capone was also awarded runner up for best performer, with the adjudicator commenting on the powerful and intimidating presence he held. The overall message of this piece was most striking though, with Luca Edmondson’s monologue on the removal of fear provoking thoughtful discussion from audience members. Finally, Paull’s House took on The Kray Twins in an impressively physical ensemble piece which revolved around the women in the lives of these two infamous brothers. Joe Eyre commented on how powerful this performance was, with audience participation creating an excellent overall atmosphere for this production. Sarah Dean’s performance as Charlie Kray was outstanding, earning her Best Performer for the evening as well as Best Production.

Overall, this was a fantastic event which showcased the brilliant talents within the Senior School. Special thanks to Charlotte Martin, Georgee Burn and Simon Kessleman for their hard work in organising this event.