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Drama

All pupils have one lesson of Drama a week, or a double lesson each fortnight in our Drama Studio, which is situated in the main school. Lessons are designed to support the teaching of English as well as to offer children opporunities to appear on stage. In addition we try to develop cross-curricular links with other subjects.

Staff
Head of Drama:	Mrs Anthea Joyce BA
Teachers:	Mrs Jill Acheson Cert Ed

The aims of the Department are to help and encourage children to:

• Work closely together in pairs or groups;
• Speak clearly and express their ideas clearly;
• Develop their imagination;
• Listen carefully;
• Be observant;
• Understand various points of view;
• Learn about the historical background of theatre;
• Dramatise poems, work with short scripts and create programmes with themes;
• Understand the structure of plays;
• Create their own scenes and plays through improvisation;
• Understand the technical side of the theatre;
• Appreciate dramatic performances and form a habit of theatre going.

Public Speaking and Poetry Competitions are held each year for the older children, and the younger ones present programmes of scenes and poems on the Pre Hall stage.

Each Autumn term we present a full scale Musical Play in the school's own theatre, The Redgrave. Recent productions include Australia, Half a Sixpence, Once on this Island, Starmites and Henry the Tudor Dude. We try to include all children who are really keen so casts are rarely smaller than 60. Rehearsals for these productions are after school.

Each Spring the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School visits with a production and there are many opportunities for outings to theatres in Bristol including the Theatre Royal, the Hippodrome and the Redgrave. Some children perform in radio and television plays.

Each summer term all the year 5 children appear in a show at the redgrave. We have recently presented Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, the Rocky Monster Show, The Seven Sided Dice and The Curious Quest of the Sandman's Sand.

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