It is always busy and enjoyable in the drama department (ie me) but this week was even more so.
Monday
• As part of the Open Week events, I was delighted to run a workshop for Year 3 on ‘Greedy Zebra’, Mwenye Hadithi and Adrienne Kennaway’s lovely book, which explains how all the animals of Africa acquired their various coats. This enhanced the children’s learning journey ‘In the Beginning’, whilst giving them a taste of drama lessons and a fun time in the theatre. I was hugely impressed by their concentration and creativity as we sampled a range of theatrical skills – tableaux, mime, improvisation, voice and movement.
Tuesday
• As you may have noticed, I love an opportunity to dress up in ridiculous costumes! So I had my Big Bear outfit ready for the Pre-Prep Bear Hunt and was gutted when it was postponed due to the terrible rain. I am looking forward to next Tuesday when the gorgeous little visitors will roam the grounds and then find me in the fire circle to read them ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’, prancing about like a crazy person.
• It was the turn of Fat Sam and his gang of knuckleheads to rehearse their scenes for Bugsy Malone after school on Tuesday. Rehearsals are going very well and I am thrilled by the level of commitment and enthusiasm being shown by the Year 8s. It has not always been thus in previous years!
• Likewise I am so pleased that all the Year 7s have volunteered to be a part of the Bugsy chorus and this week I have visited their music lessons to start learning their Cagey Joe’s Gym routine.
Wednesday
• Sue Glossop is allowing me to disrupt Year 8 music lessons and I regularly steal pupils to work on individual scenes or small group work for Bugsy.
Thursday
• 5P have their regular drama lessons on Thursdays and we are currently working on the book ‘Clockwork’ by Philip Pulman to enhance their study of scary stories. Year 5 are extremely good at bringing the text to life with the skills honed throughout the year. Previous projects this year have included ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’ by Michael Morpurgo, nonsense poetry and the remote drama skills club (which was very noise and hilarious).
• Thursdays also see the joy of the Pre-Prep Drama Club, which is for Year 1 this term. My lovely little group join me at playtime and each week we focus on a different short story as a basis for drama skills. Such fun and games had by all, especially me! This week our focus was ‘Snuff’ by Quentin Blake and we all joined in the adventures of the eponymous hero who dreams of being a knight one day and proves he is not such a hopeless pupil by foiling the villainous boot thieves.
Friday
• Friday was 5F’s turn for their drama lesson and I met with the second group of Year 7 music.
Saturday
I am looking forward to tomorrow’s three drama sessions with my trusty Year 8s before a drama free Sunday to rest before the next busy week. Amongst all this I meet regularly with a great team of parent volunteers who are busy on the costumes, props and scenery for Bugsy Malone.
And just occasionally Joff manages to find me in my office busy on the role of Head’s PA, especially this week during the inspection. Luckily he is a very long-suffering and patient man, who also seems to like a bit of drama in his life!
Mary Alderson
