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Drama

Drama at King's is a thriving part of the curriculum and is taken as a compulsory subject at 3rd form, before pupils can opt for popular GCSE, AS and A level courses.  Pupils do not just study acting but learn about the history of the theatre and study some of the great plays and directors.  They also learn about how theatres work and all the different aspects of putting together a production.  Drama is primarily though a practical subject and the majority of the learning comes through getting up and doing, and is focused on the play in performance.

The courses are structured to allow a great deal of personal emphasis in the way pupils can approach them, and it is possible to concentrate on acting or on design or on a broad range of disciplines.  King's prides itself in being able to offer expert tuition in all aspects of drama - it is possible to study a wide range of aspects, from devising to lighting design, musical theatre to costume.  Drama is necessarily a collaborative art and also requires a great deal of independent learning, fostering transferable skills of teamwork, planning and decision making, yet at the same time forms a clear basis of training for the profession, making it appeal to a broad range of pupils with a variety of levels of interest.

By far the highest priority at King's though is that good learning is enjoyable and inclusive;  pupils are encouraged and supported whatever their ability to do their absolute best and be all they can and want to be.  Past pupils have gone on to study the subject at drama school and university, and work in the profession in a number of careers both on stage and behind the scenes.

Facilities

The school is very fortunate in having a 250-seat dedicated theatre, fully equipped with computer lighting desk, a large inventory of lanterns, up-to-date sound systems and flexible staging, along with a full-time theatre manager whom the drama department has full access to.  The department itself also has a Black Box Drama Studio with dance floor, staging and computer lighting desk and sound system, as well as a dedicated teaching space and extensive costume and prop stores, which enables pupils to get their 'hands on' equipment in daily drama classes and this is encouraged.

Trips and visits

There are a large number of visits to the theatre that take place every year, and this is an essential part of studying drama. We are lucky to have two good local theatres in Taunton in the Brewhouse and the Taachi-Morris Arts Centre, who host a wide variety of touring productions.  In addition to various productions seen in these theatres, just in the last year we have had the following theatre visits

Rose Theatre, Kingston - A Midsummer Night's Dream starring Judi Dench
The Globe Theatre, London - Macbeth
Duke of York's Theatre, London - Twelfth Night
Plymouth Theatre Royal - The Grand Guignol and The Woman In Black
Bristol Old Vic - Hansel and Gretel by Kneehigh Theatre Company
Salisbury Playhouse - The Glass Menagerie
Exeter Cygnet Theatre - Doctor Faustus

The school has also in the past performed at The National Student Drama Festival in Scarborough, and there are currently plans for a combined arts tour to include the theatres of Ancient Greece, and to visit the Edinburgh Fringe.

Staff profile

Alastair Wood is the head of department.  He studied Drama with a BA from Royal Holloway, London University, followed by a postgraduate Diploma in Theatre Directing from Drama Studio London.  He then went on to work for the Drama Department at the University of Kent for ten years, eventually becoming Head of Production for the School of Drama, Film and Visual Arts.  He has worked at Sherborne School running their theatre and teaching, and at University College School in Hampstead.  Specialisms include technical theatre, site specific theatre / carnival and directing.

Chris Mason, MMath Exeter University, joined King's in 2011.  Chris has been involved with stage productions for twelve years, including acting, singing, backstage, and being a member of the directorial team, specialising in musical theatre and operetta.

Click here for details of the 3rd form curriculum

Click here for details of the GCSE course

Click here for details of the A Level course

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