Another Outstanding Year for Performing Arts

July 2013

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The cast of 'The rest is shadows, the rest is secret'.

Once again, our A Level Performing Arts students have created some ground breaking performances this year, described by the visiting moderator as "the best he has seen this year'.

In 'It was I Lord', the cast looked into Christianity as a cultural tradition and focused on the Bible stories leading up to the crucifixion. The intention of this piece was NOT to question belief, or the existence of God or Jesus, it was to debate where faith comes from. "The greatest story ever told' has been subjected to over a thousand years of cultural change and political interest, so this performance gave an alternative view point.

"Til Death do us Part' was based on forced marriage inherent within some African cultures. The piece told the stories of four women trapped in the world of one man. Marriage is a convention that is predominant in most cultures so it was interesting for the audience to consider something out of the norm. This powerful performance was designed so that the audience travelled around to visit the different actors.

'The Nest' saw students adapt Ken Kasey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and perform in a giant white tent, challenging the audience's perceptions of mental illness and leading them to subconsciously perform their own case studies and treatment. The performance was an arena for questions and self-reflection. Should you laugh? Should you feel sorry for the characters? Do you think they should be there?

Finally, 'The rest is shadows, the rest is secret', pictured here focused on themes and subject matter involved in being a Geisha. The cast explored what the Geisha may be thinking beyond the façade and addressed the theme of women's roles in culture, drawing some similarities to our own society, while creating a sense of history and beauty.

Joanne Howard, Director of Learning for Performing Arts was delighted with the performances: "Students were outstanding and beyond A Level standard. The dedication and creativity of the students was inspirational and they are set to achieve record breaking results. I feel proud and honoured to have worked with them."