This year’s quest for House glory has begun, beginning with the House Drama competition which took place this week. Always a hotly-contested event, this year’s competition saw some incredible productions and performances, with a particular highlight being the involvement of a record number of Year 7 pupils both on and off-stage.
Colfe’s was thrilled to welcome this year’s guest judge Jake Brunger, playwright, lyricist and screenwriter behind such West End smash hits as The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole the Musical, and the recent stage adaptation of The Great British Bake Off. Mr Brunger joined Director of Drama Natalie Maher and Teacher of Drama Danielle Sutherland.
Marking the first time a House co-curricular competition has involved all five Houses, following the launch of the new House, the productions were The Lion King (Bramley), Alice in Wonderland (Beardwood), High School Musical (Norton), Matilda (Prendergast), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Glyn).
After some intense deliberation, the winner was announced as Beardwood House for their imagining of Alice in Wonderland – described by head judge Mr Brunger as “inventive and creative” with particular mention of the set design and the different music used.
Mr Brunger had further praise for each of the House productions, including for the “comedy achieved in the Lion King and an awesome showcase of creativity’” for the “authentically performed romance” in High School Musical, the “brilliant reactions when entering the factory in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, even though it was imagined and not really there”, and the “great performances sustained across the board” in Matilda.
Director of Drama Natalie Maher said, “As ever, House Drama brings out the absolute best from our students in creativity, teamwork and performance, as well as a healthy dose of competitive spirit. This year we saw incredibly high standards across all the houses, with imaginative costumes, sets and props, and some fantastic ensemble and individual performances. It was especially wonderful to see so many of our newest pupils in Year 7 join in. Well done to every one of our actors, directors and the whole team behind each House, and congratulations to Beardwood for winning this year’s trophy.”
