Drama

Head of Department: C Snell

Over recent years Drama has taken on a new dimension with excellent results at GCSE Drama, A level Drama, Theatre Studies and a full programme of productions, which range from large scale musicals, to smaller studio plays.

All pupils in the first three years are involved in Drama as part of their curriculum. After that Drama and Theatre Studies become a GCSE and A level option. Drama at Arnold now has a deservedly national reputation and productions have been taken to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the past seven years, the Buxton Festival Fringe and have also been selected for the National Student Drama Festival and the Shell Connections New Writing Project in association with the Royal National Theatre.

Drama News

National awards

For the past three years productions have been selected for the prestigious British All Winners Festival, being the runner-up in 2003 with Marie Jones' A NIGHT IN NOVEMBER and the Festival Winners in 2004 and 2005 with Debbie Isitt's THE WOMAN WHO COOKED HER HUSBAND and Phil Young's CRYSTAL CLEAR respectively. The 2005 production of John Retallack's HANNAH AND HANNA received a commendation from the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Theatre Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Success has been notable in other national drama festivals including: the Fleetwood Drama Festival, the Manx Festival of Easter Plays, Hertford Theatre Week, the Llandrindod Wells Drama Festival, the Felixstowe Drama Festival and the Wakefield Drama Festival. Over a hundred awards have been received for direction, acting, design, backstage work and the audience appreciation award from the various festivals including awards from the Buxton Festival Fringe, the National Operatic and Dramatic Association, the Greater Manchester Drama Federation and the All England Theatre Festival. Performances are given regularly in the Lawrence House Studio, Grand Theatre, Blackpool, Penrith Playhouse, the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal and the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick in addition to performances in school.

After Arnold

Over twenty students have gone on to drama schools and university drama departments including: RADA, LAMDA, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the Central School of Speech and Drama, East 15 Acting School, the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Webber Douglas Academy of Performing Arts, the Arts Educational Schools, London, the Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre, Hull University, Birmingham University, Warwick University and Royal Holloway College, the University of London.

Recent drama school graduates working professionally in film, television and theatre include: Jonas Armstrong, Tom Swire, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Ben Hynes, Richard Cross, Gwyneth Owen-Pullin and Olivia Brown.

The LAMDA Speech and Drama exams, and the RADA Shakespeare Certificate attract large entries from Yr 7 to the Sixth Form with excellent results, and the school is a centre for both examinations. The Department also has a full programme of theatre visits, workshops, visiting actors, theatre practitioners and performances from visiting theatre companies, and has developed a strong bond with Professor Richard Demarco of the Demarco European Art Foundation.

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