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DRAMA & DANCE
Alleynian Drama editorials write themselves, such is the richness of activity within the department, but none of the achievements or currency the subject has at Dulwich would have been possible without the extraordinary team of practitioners, directors, educators, actors, choreographers, designers and technical experts delivering unrelenting originality, invention and rigour to inspire, challenge and engage pupils on a daily basis. We are sad to bid farewell to Matt Jessup, who came to us just before lockdown ‘to see if teaching was for me’ and then became a member of staff at the most difficult time, helping to forge new ways of digital learning and engagement through his industry expertise and experience as a professional actor. His skill set knows no bounds, and he will leave an indelible mark; we wish him every success with his new ventures in the theatre and film world, and look forward to taking Alleynians to see him perform. We hope to be able to tempt him back when we need new plays to stage and fresh ideas for Devising! And then of course, there’s Peter Jolly. It’s difficult to imagine Dulwich Drama without him. He’s been the driving force and lifeblood of theatrical activity at Dulwich for 34 years, and has been an inspiration to students and colleagues in a life-changing way. His valete will lay testimony to his wider involvement in the College – not least his passion for the Elizabethan theatrical archive – and it is through his connections that so many Alleynians have been afforded the opportunity to engage with the Globe and to perform at the Wannamaker Playhouse. His commissioning of original plays (Mike Punter for Upstart Crows , Jess Swale for The Playhouse Apprentice and Jenny Worton for The White Road ) has been inspired: all have given new light to the rich heritage of the College and have proven timely, not least with international celebrations for the Shakespeare 400 in 2016 and
Hannah Kumari’s production of Eng-er-land , staged as part of the month-long Diversity and Inclusion programme DCiAM. Kumari also delivered workshops for Year 9, GCSE and A-level pupils on devising, as well as leading discussion on themes of identity and belonging, exploring her work with Football Supporters’ Association and the anti-racism group Kick it Out. In early January, Year 7 pupils took part in the commemorative arts engagement project Echo Eternal, inspired by Holocaust survivor testimony from both Judith Kerr and Maurice Blik. In collaboration with the Music and Art Departments this afforded pupils a great opportunity to create and reflect, and led to a Performing Arts showcase of original composition, dance and
puppetry at the end of the day. As a coda to this, a group of Year 7s and 8s travelled to Birmingham to perform in the Echo Eternal Horizons Festival, One Day , at Birmingham Town Hall. The production
We were straight out of the blocks at the start of the year, just as theatres reopened
the recent discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance at the bottom of the Weddell Sea on the Antarctic Ocean floor. I personally have worked alongside him for more than 20 years and have relished every moment of his tireless energy, his enthusiasm and his love of all things Dulwich. He has made us laugh every day – not least through his inability to ever remember names or to finish a sentence before leaving a room, so thank goodness he’ll be under our feet for a little while longer, not least as he continues to share his film expertise on the A-level Screen course as well as collaborating on next term’s Senior School musical. At all times, especially when things get particularly congested and we’re not quite sure how we’ll ever get the show on the road, he is quick to quote Henslowe: ‘Strangely enough, it’ll all turn out well.’
interlaced Holocaust survivors’ testimony and multi-media digital content with physical theatre, dance, singing and spoken word. Dulwich worked alongside students from LIPA, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and young people from Birmingham’s schools and the Core Education Trust to create a truly evocative and memorable piece. Pupils had the privilege of meeting and engaging with Holocaust survivor Harry Dunn, and the initiator of the testimony project, journalist Natasha Kaplinsky. We have been able to welcome Jason Flemyng, Nikita Karia and Camilla de Quetteville to adjudicate our three Drama festivals and have invited practitioners Eddie Elliott, Sophia Pardon and Ollie Norton-Smith to engage directly with students within academic and Liberal Studies courses. We are also very proud of the production work steered by staff, as well as the student-steered work which is part of A-level and GCSE courses, all of which is reviewed in the following pages.
Hugh Fennyman: How?
Philip Henslowe: I don’t know. It’s a mystery.
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