F or Director of Drama Hannah Clarkson, “the nature of Drama – and performance – provides so many opportunities to take a look at yourself and the world around you”. “Putting yourself into the shoes of the character that you are playing allows a student to see a new perspective,” Hannah believes. “The experiences that we provide on stage – and off – also give the students the chance to take note of their character strengths or areas that may need to be developed.” Each year, hundreds of boys across all year levels tread the boards, set the scene, light up the stage, and take on every role – from actor to stage manager, lighting director to set designer and costume expert to producer. “Our Drama programme at College is focused on giving students many opportunities to get involved in Drama and the Arts,” Hannah says. “We aim to provide a chance for all students, whether they are Drama focused or not. They can extend themselves in acting, dancing, singing, improvising, devising or theatre technology. “We offer both large and small- scale productions for seniors and juniors so that as many students as possible can get involved. We shift the focus each year for major productions – between a scripted play and a piece of musical theatre – so that students can demonstrate their strengths and learn the varied skills that come from both.”
“Drama stimulates creativity but it also provides opportunities for collaboration, problem-solving, negotiating, decision- making and empathy.”
senior production, Light at the End of the Tunnel , has drawn together the talents of singers, dancers, and actors for a Broadway showcase. Next year, College will join forces with St Margaret’s College to present a play. It is the reverse for the junior production, with this year’s play performed with St Margaret’s College and a musical planned for next year with Rangi Ruru Girls’ School. Hannah adds that “our facilities are fantastic and our incredible staff can share an extraordinary wealth of knowledge and abilities – their passion and efforts provide fantastic learning opportunities”. “We also have a great deal of support from the school and our sponsors, which allows us to aim high and offer challenging experiences. “We have a history of excellence, which we work hard to continue, and we enjoy collaboration and often work with experts or professionals to extend opportunities even further. “We love that students take full ownership of a production once it is up and running – a student stage manager runs the show and students perform all crew duties. There is a genuine love of Drama at College and students are driven to succeed and do their best.”
Hannah also highlights the core value of Drama, explaining that “being involved – whether in the classroom or in the many co-curricular opportunities – allows the boys to deepen their understanding of themselves” and the wider world. “Drama stimulates creativity but it also provides opportunities for collaboration, problem-solving, negotiating, decision-making and empathy. These are all wonderful skills and we know that they are particularly valued by universities and employers.” And more boys are recognising the importance of Drama in a holistic education. In 2021, 60 boys were involved in the senior production and 40 in the junior show. Fifteen boys tackled Theatresports, 20 stepped up for the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival, and 20 took part in TheatreFest. Fifteen joined the Stage Crew while a further 15 began to make some bold steps towards the DanceNZmade inter- school competition. Twenty boys also joined the
theatre trip to Auckland. Equally important, 70 boys
studied Speech and Drama at College in 2021 and 100 boys took their bows in the REACTION House Plays Festival. This year, in collaboration with Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, the
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