STUDENT WORKSHOP WITH
EMILY JOYCE
H
ow can a student really get inside the text of a challenging play? One great way is from a current member of the cast. Sydenham High’s Year 11 drama students got exactly that opportunity when celebrated actor and alumna Emily Joyce came into the school to give a workshop and Q&A on their GCSE play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Ms Joyce, who has many screen and stage screen credits to her name, is currently starring as Judy in the acclaimed National Theatre production now playing to packed houses at the Gielgud Theatre. During the workshop Ms Joyce helped the students to explore some of the critical scenes in the text, including an epic monologue which is a key moment in the play. She also helped the
students to explore the unique physicality of the play – such as the cast-simulated movement of the packed underground train that the central character Christopher ‘builds’ as the play progresses. At the end of the workshop Ms Joyce answered questions from girls from across the school about her acting career. Students also wanted to know about her acting at school and she revealed that her favourite role had been a monologue based on Shakespeare’s Ophelia. She also offered further advice to anyone hoping to follow in her acting footsteps, including making sure they follow through with their chosen A levels to demonstrate that they have both commitment and staying power.
YEAR 13 PERFORM PARAGON
T
he Year 13 Theatre Studies students were set the task for their Unit 3 exam to devise an original and unique piece of theatre. At the beginning of the rehearsal process the students were given two different stimuli - Maya Angelou’s poem Phenomenal Women and Matisse’s blue cut out women - to inspire them in their devising process. They also watched The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time which is currently on the West End stage, and this had a big
impact on the ideas behind their stage design. The students decided to set their piece in a dystopian world which also had hints of the 1950’s. It was clear that the two novels Brave New World and 1984 which they had used as part of their research, had a huge influence on their piece. The students impressed not only with a fantastic play and a range of excellent characterisations but the technical choices they made. This included a grid projected on to the floor, white cubes which had images and wording projected on to them, both supporting the storyline and juxtaposing some of the plot, and fantastic use of light and sound. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the performance which took place in the Westwood Theatre. Well done to Phoebe Robinson, Tallulah Boote Bond and Polly Pullen for such impressive work.
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SPOTLIGHT ON
DRAMA I
n October the Westwood Theatre hosted ‘A Spotlight On Drama’ - a showcase of some of the stunning work from our GCSE and A Level Drama students, along with pieces from the Senior Drama club, Musical Theatre Club and some LAMDA student monologues and duologues. The showcase was an opportunity to show some of the work that has been created both inside and outside lesson time. With the performance being only six weeks into the new academic year the students really did impress the capacity audience. It was also fantastic to be able to give a platform for some of our LAMDA students who had recently taken their exams and received extremely high marks. It is always very different performing in front of an audience in a large space than in front of an examiner and the students really enjoyed the challenge of this transition. The evening saw a range of performances both scripted and devised and showed the diverse range that is explored within the Drama department at Sydenham High.