5 Star reviews all round for our GCSE Drama performances!

On Tuesday 7th February, GCSE Drama pupils performed eight varied devised pieces. For most, it was the first actual GCSE exam they have undertaken and this took place in front of a very full studio audience. The pupils had to work collaboratively with a small group to create a completely original piece of theatre and the starting point for this was a piece of stimulus. 

One group’s first piece of stimulus was a newspaper article about WWI letters found recently in the walls of a hotel in Scarborough. This was accompanied by a range of images considering the way in which we communicate. From there, the four groups branched out to missing people (The Missing), famous love letters (The Beginning and the End of Everything), restrictions in communication (Barriers) and the darkness in fairytales (No Evil). 

The other group's first piece of stimulus was excerpts from the poem ‘Home’ by Warsan Shire. This was accompanied by an art exhibition by Hans-Peter Feldmann at London’s Serpentine Gallery which delved into the significance of people’s possessions. From there, the four groups branched out to include immigration (Red Fate), generations (Window to the Past), World War (Friend or Foe) and dementia (Fading Out). 

The performance, along with the accompanying portfolio, is worth 40% of their final GCSE grade. The portfolio analyses the process and evaluates the performance in regard to dramatic intentions. 

Congratulations to all involved!