Drama Exams – Year 11 and 12
Last week Year 12 students took their devised practical Drama and Theatre exams in School with Ms Mayes, Head of Drama at Woodbridge School, reporting, “It was exceptional, the students did incredibly well and it was also lovely and very important to have such a large audience – thank you to those who came along.”
Assessed on their ability to create and develop original ideas when working from a chosen stimulus, students’ work must be clearly influenced by the methodologies of a chosen practitioner – group one chose Frantic Assembly, group two The Paper Birds. The synopses below:
Group One – She’s Somebody’s Daughter
Nominated practitioner: Frantic Assembly
Students: Rufus, George, Eleanor, Evelyn, Alice and Florence
Sixteen years ago five young sex workers went missing from the streets of Ipswich. Within a six week period, they were each found dumped naked in the Suffolk countryside, leaving the public, the police, and the media questioning women’s safety and who might be next. Using Frantic Assembly’s iconic physical style, alongside verbatim accounts, we follow the story as the ‘Suffolk Strangler’ impacts the Ipswich community. Throughout this process we wanted to highlight the people affected by these murders, humanising the taboos of sex work and exposing the fears of those in charge, capturing the light and shade of such a tragic event. Although our performance is set in 2006, many of these struggles are still prevalent today and charities like Iceni work to combat the problems and offer support to those involved. More information can be found at iceniipswich.org
Group Two – The Bill
Nominated practitioner: The Paper Birds
Students: Esme, Eleanor, Lara, Layo and Paul
Our piece aims to capture the pain, struggle, love and beauty held within the LGBTQ community. Since the recognition of queerness, people have tried to diminish it. Increasingly over the past few years, and specifically in America, this toxic rhetoric has found its way back into our lives. The Paper Birds have given us the template to express real life stories through the medium of verbatim theatre. Not only do we feel exceptionally proud to be given the platform to share these raw and often heart-breaking stories, but also to shine a light on the corruption that is happening presently. We offer a whistle-stop tour of Queer culture, from the 1960’s to the present day; please join us in experiencing the wonder and support that we have found in this community.
*Two days ago, Tennessee passed a bill that orders all children that are medically transitioning to de-transition by March 2024. The fight isn’t over yet.
Next week Year 11 GCSE students will take their scripted practical Drama and Theatre exams which are worth 20% towards their final grade, and everyone involved is excited to confirm that examiners will be coming into School for the first time since Covid.
With rehearsals in School this Sunday 11 March, technical dress rehearsals taking place on Monday 12 March, and the examiner in School all day Tuesday 14 March, parents, friends and family can look forward to the public showcase on Wednesday evening, 7.30pm, in our Seckford Theatre. No tickets are required, please do come along if you can.
Year 11 students will be performing extracts from Ernest and The Pale Moon and the play can be described as a Hitchcock kind of thriller about a man’s obsession with a woman who lives opposite him, and the students’ performances in front of the examiner will involve presenting different parts of different scenes – a smorgasbord of theatrical delight!
Well done to those who have completed their exams, and good luck to those preparing to do so!
