Year 8 dramatists impressed audiences on Thursday 12 January, when they took to the stage to perform a hard-hitting piece about World War Two. With a cast of 14, the Year 8 Olympians had worked incredibly hard on the piece during classes, and took the opportunity to showcase their work to parents, staff and fellow pupils.
The Tithe Barn Theatre was packed with peers, staff, and pupils’ family members, who had come to the College in order to view the piece. The play opened with a group of pupils learning about the war in a lesson. A pupil then stepped forward, describing a story that his grandfather had been telling him, of his own experiences in the war. The stage was cleverly split into two, with the grandfather (played by Hal McLaren), sat at the side, replaying the story of what happened to him whilst it was acted out by the rest of the cast. It was a heart-wrenching narrative, of a young man wounded in the war, and the soldier who dragged him to safety. The play had a poignant message at the end, when each cast member stood forward separately, to say their name and what happened to them in the war. It was a very moving way to end the play, highlighting to the audience the sheer amount of lives lost. The group managed to incorporate physical theatre beautifully, effectively creating the chaotic atmosphere of the battlefields.
Sound and lighting was used very effectively within the play. Jude Harris was in charge of sound, and the gunshots, shouts and evocative music made the play professional, and underscored the impact of action onstage. Head of Drama Mrs Jenny Nunes commented: ‘this play is the culmination of a lot of hard work from the Year 8 Olympians, and I’m really proud of what they’ve achieved. They were very keen to show off their hard work, so a big thank you to everyone for coming to support us!’