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THE ALLEYNIAN 710
Middle School House Drama
Adjudicator Nikita Karia was hugely impressed by Middle School students’ imaginative and skilful acting and directing
we were treated on this particular evening were more polished than productions I have reviewed in professional theatres, so well done to the Middle School House Drama cohort – the students should be incredibly proud of their achievements. The evening kicked off with Raleigh’s iteration of Aeschylus’ Agamemnon . The moody chorus and ominous cloaked prophet effectively added tension to this classic Greek tragedy, which was brought to life by Emil Oksanen’s haunting performance as Clytemnestra, for which he was awarded Best Actor (shared). Next up, Grenville commanded the stage with their comedically charged adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail . The storytelling was bolstered by some commendable unison equestrian acting, some convincing Scottish accents and a giggle- worthy performance from Barnaby Taylor as Brother Maynard. Well done to director Zac Broughton (Best Director) for his ambitious handling of the infamous ‘Killer Rabbit’ scene.
It was an absolute joy, for me, to be back in the Edward Alleyn Theatre to watch and adjudicate a fantastic line-up of theatre put on so professionally by the Middle School students. I have many fond memories of being in this theatre, but one in particular stands out: watching my brother, rather miraculously, perform an entirely solo rendition of ‘Singing in the Rain’ for his House Drama entry. I can safely say that the standard in 2022 was infinitely better than that of 12 years ago. The past two years have been taxing for the creative industries: audiences have been starved of live theatre, theatre-makers have been wavering on standby, and young creatives have slipped through the crack, all of which will undoubtedly have a devastating impact on the ecology of our industry, so it was inspiring to witness such young talent on show. The pandemic has also been tough on students. I would have been distraught had my school play been cancelled or had I been made to record my GCSE practical performance. But some of the extracts to which
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