THE ALLEYNIAN 708 | OUT OF THE ORDINARY
THE ALLEYNIAN 708 | OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Novel approaches Middle School House Drama
DRAMA
Kathryn Norton-Smith recalls an evening of eclectic and creatively ambitious offerings
A ll of those involved with this year’s Middle School House Drama deserve applause, from the actors and directors to the technicians. Adjudicator Megan Gilsenan, Head of Drama at Dulwich Prep London, commented: ‘to be a part of the College’s thriving creative community for this special night of performance was an absolute joy. Each piece presented was thoughtful, challenging, and most importantly, entertaining. I was impressed by the mature manner in which the material was interpreted, from the staging choices to the lovely ensemble work and the energy, humour and pathos that each actor brought to their character work. It was refreshing to see the passion these students had for their art and I definitely walked away from the night feeling revived by their ambition.’ There was an undeniable buzz about the place, as with each piece the quality of work and the boys’ ownership of and commitment to their material was startlingly evident. Offerings ranged from old favourites like Spenser’s Blackadder and Grenville’s Curious Incident , to Sidney’s reinvention of Lorca’s House of Bernarda Alba and Drake’s original piece, Baby , inspired by Jez Butterworth’s Mojo . Flynn Laban has much to offer with his new writing and we look forward to this developing further in the Upper School.
Creative adaptations of novels and films also featured heavily, with Marlowe’s Twelve Angry Men , Howard’s Imitation Game and Raleigh’s Catch 22 , with its cast of thousands skilfully and exactingly marshalled by Jesse Gyane, earning him the Best Director Cup. One of the most exciting new plays, Samuel Bailey’s Shook , staged by Jonson, brought home the garlands for both Best Production and Best Actor for Mohau Jolobe-Pike, with a performance of complete assurance, truth and control. Dan Davies and Oli Boardman were jointly awarded the Mason Cup for their generous and selfless contribution to the Drama Department during their time in the Middle School. Hardy Hodges scooped the Adjudicator’s special award for an understated, memorable and wonderfully comic performance as Baldrick. It is no surprise that every House featured company members who were shortlisted for the top awards. The following were mentioned by the adjudicator, in addition to those above, for their contributions as actors and directors: Paddy Burke, Ed Cook, Gilbert Edwards, Alex Eskandari, Dom Gore- Booth, Edmund Irving, Sam Izbicki, Amedee Le Gouellec De Schwarz, Billy Morris, Louis O’Malley, Oscar Pelly, Alex Poli, Sachin Shukla, Harry Spicer and Archie Wright.
The boys’ ownership of and commitment to their material was startlingly evident
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