Drama Co-curricular
Drama at Colfe’s is very popular and offers pupils the opportunity to get involved with major school productions in a number of different ways. Whether its acting, costume, set design, sound or lighting you’re interested in, there’s a role for everyone to play.
Held in our 130-seat Beardwood Theatre, recent productions have included An Inspector Calls (Years 11-13), Into the Woods (Years 7-10), Grease (Years 11-13), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Year 9), A Chorus of Disapproval (Years 11-13), James and the Giant Peach (Years 7-9), Return To The Forbidden Planet (Years 10-13), The 39 Steps (Years 11-13), School of Rock (Years 7-9) and a promenade performance of Romeo and Juliet (Years 7-10).
Pupils across the school are invited to learn new skills from theatre companies – such as Frantic Assembly, Punchdrunk and Splendid Theatre – who frequently visit the school to perform and facilitate interactive workshops. House Drama is another big event in the department’s calendar – with Sixth Form students directing younger students (Years 7-9) in the run up to the competition. All students are offered the opportunity to explore aspects of theatre such as lighting and sound through lessons and the Technical Theatre crew are encouraged to hone their skills during productions and in Technical Theatre Club run by our full time Theatre Technician.
The department organises an Easter School and a Summer School where pupils work towards holding a performance after five days of rehearsals. Previous performances have included Matilda, Annie, Fame, Mary Poppins, The Addams Family and Legally Blonde.
Furthermore, we also offer Lower School Drama Club, Technical Theatre Club, Musical Theatre Club, National Youth Theatre workshops, LAMDA, House Dance, House Drama, Lower School Production, Senior School Production, Easter School, Summer School, and Drama School Audition Coaching.
Pupils may opt to sit the LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) examinations. LAMDA is the UK’s oldest and most respected awarding organisation having offered practical examinations in communication and performance subjects for over 130 years. We offer tuition in the following areas:
- Acting
- Public Speaking
- Speaking of Verse and Prose
- Musical Theatre
- Shakespeare
Students normally work towards a graded exam (similar to learning a musical instrument) in one of the above areas. We arrange annual performance evenings where students can showcase their work with parents and friends. Yearly over 100 students across the Senior School take part. The majority achieve a Merit or Distinction across all grades.
In the medal grades 6/7/8 100% of students have recently achieved Merit or Distinction.
Pupils can also audition for The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. In the last five years, we have got 18 Colfe’s students into NYT as both actors and theatre technicians. Quite a track record!
Trips
At Key Stage 3 we ensure that all year groups experience live West End Theatre. We facilitate a trip for the entire cohort. A wonderful opportunity for student engagement, harnessing creativity and honing their evaluation skills. Recent trips have included: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Matilda, School of Rock, Come from Away, The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked.
Annually, our GCSE and A-level students experience numerous theatre trips. We ensure they see a plethora of different styles of theatre from hard hitting political drama and immersive theatre experiences to musical theatre and Shakespeare. Recent trips have included: The Crucible, Constellations, Small Island, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Death of A Salesman, Witness for the Prosecution, Cyrano de Bergerac and Groan Ups.
GCSE & A-Level Drama
Information about these courses can be found on our Academic Drama page.
Scholarships
Drama scholarships are offered at Year 7 and Year 12.
In order to be considered for a Drama scholarship, applicants are required to submit a brief statement/CV of no longer than one side of A4, containing information about previous acting experience. You will be guided through how to submit this statement/CV when you complete our online application form.
The next stage of the assessment process is through digital video submissions ahead of the entrance examination. This should be submitted in the following format:
- A monologue of no more than two minutes in length. This should be from a play, with the applicant playing a character, and should be learn by heart. Children can be in their own clothes or can wear a costume (optional) and;
- A one-minute video stating why the applicant loves drama, and why they would make a good drama scholar.
The Admissions team will provide instructions on how to submit the videos after the application deadline closes.
For those shortlisted for the second stage of assessment this will involve attending an audition/workshop with the Director of Drama, alongside other shortlisted candidates. Applicants will be assessed on potential and enthusiasm as well as ability. Applications for the drama scholarship will progress only if the applicant’s performance in the entrance examination has met the standard required to be considered for a place at Colfe’s. You will be told if your child has been shortlisted for the second stage after the entrance examination has been sat.
Information on how to apply is available in our Admissions section.