HOUSE DRAMA: Students shine on stage

Students from all year groups shone both on and off the stage at our 25th annual House Drama Competition, with productions produced and directed by our talented sixth form students. Read TERRY FELL's review and see our photo gallery, below

The 2022 House Drama winner was De Grey House with 'Teechers'

The judges' Best Actress is Juliet Morrice (Hutton)

The judges' best actor is Aiden Ng (School)

Porteus – ‘Matilda’ review

'Clever and inspired - a dark and entertaining triumph'

ROALD Dahl’s stories are famously as dark as they are entertaining, and the Porteus directors (Tilly Lee, Jamie Pritchard, Benedict Dunn, Emelia Praud and Tina Todd) took on a real challenge as they chose ‘Matilda’ for their entry to this year’s 25th edition of the House Drama Competition. How to bring our young heroine’s magical powers to stage? How to have a small boy consume a huge chocolate cake live on stage? And how to convey the full, majestically brutal awfulness of Trunchbull?

As it turns out, Porteus love a challenge, and a mixture of clever casting, superb design skills and a dash of inspired stagecraft made for a truly memorable performance.

Firstly to that cast – 28 of them, representing every age group and glittering with talent. The sonorous opening voiceover (Jamie Pritchard, reminiscent of a young Christopher Lee) set the scene nicely, and introduced an engaging young incarnation of our protagonist (Sophie Owen) and her unashamedly dysfunctional family. Her father, Harry Wormwood was played with swagger by the ever impressive Scott Turner who strutted and fretted as the bullying dodgy car salesman, complemented nicely by Edith Scott as his glamorous but bored wife Zinnia, and Charlotte Scott as the delinquent eldest son Michael. These ensemble scenes in the Wormwood front room painted a bleak backdrop to the life of their prodigy daughter Matilda (taken up now by Libby Lamb) and highlighted beautifully the predicament of the child who does not belong – seeing and understanding her family with a clarity they can never achieve themselves, yet unable to change them. Libby is a talented actress, and she brought the character’s speechless frustration to life vividly through her mastery of gesture. And for the antagonist – the monstrous Trunchbull? Porteus were able to call upon Olympia Dunn, an actor of immense presence and confidence, whose character’s glorious loathing for anything childlike was manifest in the very first moments as she hurled the innocent Amanda (Bobbi Todd) off stage for daring to have pigtails. Such a dominating, unredeemably cruel character requires real commitment to the role, and Olympia’s attention to detail was magnificent as she roared and threatened her helpless young charges, (a very well drilled chorus of promising young actors whose school scenes were lively and enjoyable.) Other clever little cameos, so nicely directed, were the be-shaded undercover cops (Toby and Monty Praud), the bashful Cookie (Benedict Dunn) and Alice Beesley as the waiter in the posh restaurant. The counter to Trunchbull was nicely played by the kind Miss Honey (Amelia Briggs), who is the only one to see the potential in Matilda, and who earns her love in return.

In character terms, this play matches the bullies (Mr Wormwood and Trunchbull against the innocent (Matilda and Miss Honey), and the directors found clever ways to portray this struggle through their direction, such as the precise choreographing as Miss Trunchbull advances step by step on Miss Honey, the mirroring of Mr Wormwood’s threatening speech with Miss Trunchbull’s (“I am big, you are small…”), or the striking scene where the diminutive Matilda stands off in raging defiance against the enraged Miss Trunchbull who seems to grow giant in comparison. Their mutual enmity crackled with energy, and gave the play a heart that throbbed.

Brilliant stagecraft was evident too in the superbly clever magic writing pen scene (ultra strong magnets in case you were wondering!); the use of lighting and recorded voice to portray Matilda’s haunting memories, or the idea of the floating portrait to portray Miss Trunchbull’s own guilty conscience.

The design team were another key part of this Porteus success story, with clever little touches of wit (that clocktower looked awfully familiar!), the design solution for the disappearing cake and the wonderful red limousine which became a character in it’s own right, especially in the moment when the red faced Miss Trunchbull glared through the window at the audience as she cursed it and all its kind. Tina Todd and her set team deserve huge credit for their deft attention to detail and the long hours spent on the artwork.

All plays, Dahl’s being no exception, centre on conflict of some kind, and Porteus directors set out a very clear vision of defiance in the face of tyranny that rang loud and clear as a bell, taking us to the happy ending that this child and this story deserved. The audience was treated to outstanding acting performances, individual and ensemble; delightful and fascinating moments of stagecraft, and a production that hummed with energy and humour, performed by a young cast who clearly loved every moment of it. Well done for another wonderful show Porteus!

School – 'Alice in Wonderland' review

'An iconic story brought to life with skill and wit'

THIS was not the first time that Alice in Wonderland’ has been selected as a House production, but to this reviewer it was perhaps the most interesting incarnation yet, successfully marrying a strong, clear storyline with the eerie weirdness of the Wonderland landscape and characters which comes through so clearly in Carroll’s original. Much credit must go to the adaptation team (Tai Thorpe, Isobel Bean and Mik Harrison, and to the Directors, Tamara Davies and Talia So) for the skill and wit with which they brought this iconic story to life.

It has been observed before, that there is always something about the School House dynamic, spirit and energy that really comes surging to the fore in House Drama, and this year was no exception. A bright young cast brimmed with assurance and talent, and they performed against a beautiful set design and to a dramatic vision that were exceptional, ensuring that this year’s production was both a fantastic crowd pleaser, and a production of real dramatic merit.

Our Alice was played with great presence and skill by Lara Brown, faultless in her delivery and compelling in her portrayal of the curious young adventurer. She was the rock at the heart of this production, and the writers’ skill and the Directors’ confidence in adapting the play as they have done to cut away so much that may have distracted from her performance, and allowing her to perform as the rational centre of each scene, meant that the other characters were free to act off her and to explore the strangeness of their characters. So we were treated to the emotionally incontinent Queen of Hearts (Beatrice Webster) who see-sawed between giddy excitement and incoherent set-chewing rage in a performance that was gloriously unhinged; the sidling entrance of the Tweedle twins (Aria Writer and Savannah Lewis) who like so many of these characters, offered a sinister razor edge to their characters beneath the apparent amiability; the scampering frenzy of the White Rabbit (played with innate confidence by Leo Fearnley in his impressive House Drama debut, even managing the wardrobe malfunction with his rabbit ears with the calm assurance of an experienced pro.), and the unsettling appearances of the Cheshire Cat (acted with immense accomplishment by Aiden Ng) and his oh so memorable grin, who seemed to emerge from nowhere, giggling with mischievous glee. This gallery of strangeness was further enhanced by the tea party guests: Francesca Faulks as the March Hare, William Keens as the Mad Hatter, and Tess Holloway as the ever-sleepy Dormouse. The interplay between these three seasoned actors was slick and subtle, and they brought this famous but challenging scene to life with verve and humour, ensuring that Alice was always perceived as an outsider, unable to join the party and increasingly frustrated by the in-jokes and obscurity. Expect to see much more from these actors in the next few School House productions!

For all the excellent individual performances, this play’s success was always going to be dependent also on its ensemble strength; but this is School House, so no problem there! The chorus displayed terrific versatility and talent whether acting with languid elegance and eloquence as the garden flowers (switching seamlessly from charm to malice), or as the put-upon Card Soldiers, desperate to hold onto their heads.

So, a talented and vibrant cast, who were given a simply stunning set against which to act. The fairytale blue sky and distant castle were all reminiscent of the traditional fairy story, but framing and impinging on this familiar element were the rearing multi-coloured mushroom heads which seemed to suggest another world entirely lurking just at the margins of our vision, subverting and somehow threatening. Talia, Tamara and their team must be commended for their design skill and vision, and the lighting was cleverly designed to enhance this sense of confliction, whilst lazy layers of stage smoke added to the sense of fever dream claustrophobia. Meanwhile the almost imperceptible buzzing soundscape in the garden scenes, just at the limits of audibility, added another level to the sensual complexity of the audience’s experience.

Another impressive aspect to this production was the slickness of the scene changes, with stage curtains opening and closing from one scene to the other as actors moved and spoke, allowing no pauses and blackouts for scenery movement, and sustaining a strong and fluid pace to the piece. This is always a popular aspect for the audience, and gives the production that energy and drive that is so enjoyable.

This was a mature, crafted, witty and carefully envisioned performance that was both memorable and fascinating. Wonderland indeed! Well done School.

Hutton – ‘Coraline’ review

'Truly mesmerising - and very, very sinister'

WELL this was different! It is always interesting when a new play is added to the House Drama repertoire, and this clever adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novella of the same name was truly mesmerising, and very, very sinister! It is a real skill to turn a written text into a stage play, and Karenza Dearden must be commended for the taut, cohesive script that she produced. Commendation too is well deserved by the Hutton Directorial team, led by Karenza and Hannah Preece, and supported by Lucy McClean, Evie Palmer Jones, Maddie Pound, Abbie Woolley, Isla Ellis, Ivan Jackson and Ed Murray. It is always good to see a large team of Upper and Lower Sixth Form students workings so tightly together on House Drama projects, and this group ensured a strong and stable production process.

Hutton have over the years nurtured a nice balance of acting talent across the age groups, and this year we saw again the most experienced hands performing alongside absolute newcomers to House Drama, and the quality of performance reflected their sheer shared enjoyment of their work together.

One such veteran is Juliet Morrice, who played our feisty, courageous heroine Coraline (not Caroline!) snatched away from her humdrum ordinary life to the ‘other’ world where apparent freedoms quickly become a nightmarish trap. Juliet’s performance was natural and highly engaging, skillfully navigating the path between bored teen and frightened victim, and her assurance and clarity of delivery were central to the success of this production. However it was certainly no one-woman show, and Helena McMurray’s performance as the chillingly cruel ‘Other Mother’ was a shimmering display of vocal and physical acting. Adopting a sweet, adoring voice at first, she nevertheless allowed us to sense a creepiness from outset both through the masking device of her large dark glasses, and the unsettling passive aggression of her tone. The moments when we saw the loving mask slip were particularly nightmarish, such as when she gently informed Coraline that she would like to sew buttons into her eyes, or when suddenly she lashed out at her unfortunate victim and hurled her to the floor. Subtle details like the tapping of her fingertips as she studied her prey all added to a virtuoso performance of evil in the face of Coraline’s innocence.

Equally sinister were the electric blue suited Other Father (Luca Hutchinson) and the decidedly creepy old man Bobinsky (played with relish by the ever-versatile Samarth Dasarathi – another of those experienced Hutton stalwarts). Coraline’s diminutive mother and father were beautifully performed by Neive Young and James McNamara, whilst Hannah Preece gave her final House Drama Performance as the unfortunate Wybie, and the cameo of the Thody sisters (Katy and Anna – surely destined to be amongst the next leading lights of Hutton drama) as the scatty fortune tellers, was inspired and joyous – another unsettling element in a decidedly joyless plot. Indeed this juxtaposing of the chilling and the engaging was a very clever directorial choice – nowhere better seen than in the chorus of rats dancing a cancan as they threatened eventual domination of the world, completed by the superb gymnastic display of Katy Stapley-Hinton. What are the audience supposed to do with that combination? And so we were duly, truly unsettled just as we were meant to be.

Here again was a house whose set design was fundamental to the slick success of the production. The set was static; no scene breaks, but curtains and lighting were so cleverly employed to change the feel of the piece that we were truly transported to the ‘other’ world, which turned hellish red as the evil took hold, and made the set design seem to change. And the door! The ominous craggy brown door free standing at the stage margin like a character in it’s own right, or a symbol of elemental danger. Again, the clever use of lighting to create the supernatural ‘tunnel’ between the worlds, and the confidence with which Juliet and her travelling companion Cat (performed with consummate skill by the wonderfully sarcastic Milly Kirby) travelled it, were a joy to watch rather than a mundane stage device.

Set designers and crew, actors and technical team working with such synchronicity was hugely impressive, and together they cast their spell on their audience, building tension until it became almost unbearable, then hitting us with the (literally) haunting figures of the lost children (Anais Writer and Thedora Brody), and finally the defeat of the monstrous predator and the slamming shut of that door of doom which left us elated and exhausted. This was serious drama, and we loved it! Bravo Hutton – we can’t wait for next year!

De Grey – ‘Teechers’ review

'A glittering production full of charm and joy which delivers a heartfelt punch to the stomach'

AS we came to the final production of this year’s competition, we could reflect upon some stellar individual acting performances; ensemble acting of a very high standard indeed; wonderfully innovative and effective directorial and design choices; laughs and moments of cruel tension. So when the lights went up on De Grey’s production, it was interesting to wonder where they would add to that dramatic checklist. One answer came very quickly indeed. In the performance of our three narrators, Salty (Frankie Russell), Gail (Issy Withy) and Hobby (Holly Maisey), we saw one of the most complete group acting performances in House Drama memory. These three actors simply lit up the stage from the moment they stepped onto it, and their display of fluency, precision, physical performance and absolute trust in one another was just stunning. It has been a dream for the De Grey Directors (Emily Hodgson, Ruby Todd, Charlotte Wood, Aimee Childs and Sam Cann) to be able to call upon a trio of performers like this, and they deployed them extremely effectively as the fluid, glittering spine of the production; anarchic, engaging, loud and somehow vulnerable despite their rough-edges, they inhabited each scene as narrators and participants, bringing a fizz and electricity that was palpable.

Alongside our narrators were further heavyweight dramatic performances from the likes of Felix Denby whose delivery as the NQT Mr Nixon was both mature and utterly convincing, to the extent that he might walk into class on Monday and commence his new career here. Likewise, Nancy Manners as the go-getting, (and am-dram obsessed) Headteacher was superb in her performance, whilst Ava Reeves as the faintly terrifying Mrs Basford, the embittered Maths teacher, provided a superb foil for both Felix and Nancy. Each of these actors demonstrated the technical skill, clarity and presence that makes the next few years of De Grey drama very exciting indeed.

Not to be outdone, cameo and chorus performances by a dozen other young actors were all beautifully directed, and likewise performed with an assurance and energy that spoke of a real enjoyment and immersion in their roles and in the story as a whole. Indeed the various classroom and staffroom scenes were so fluent and purposeful that the audience almost missed that changes were taking place, which is perhaps the greatest compliment that can be paid to directorial skill. One more word on performances: there was one young debutante actor in particular who demonstrated the definition of stealing the scene. George Dalkiran – playing Doug the caretaker, left his audience in hysterics with his performance of on stage agony as his dance routine went wrong. The absolute commitment to the performance, and his physical performance skills, were masterful and hugely entertaining. That a young actor in his first House Drama outing was given the confidence and opportunity to shine in such a cameo says as much about the Direction as it does about impressive George’s acting skills.

The set design was as bold and sassy as the performances, with the play’s title etched in huge red letters across the back curtains, alongside the gigantic timetable that dominated the stage. Once again, the decision to keep certain set features permanently in place, and to move actors and scenes fluidly around these, allowed for a fast pace and a constant sense of business that was well-suited to a school setting. Seats were whisked on and off in the background whilst action took place in the foreground, and the cast were superbly drilled in these intricate movements. Meanwhile the parallel use of stage to present contrasting classrooms and teachings styles was inventive and hugely effective – such innovation is always a thrill to see.

And to the play itself. This production was so much more than just entertainment. The very best House productions offer memorable moments of entertainment, innovation, artistry, vision and emotional challenge. This production had all of these elements in abundance, and nowhere better displayed than in Gail’s passionate monologue in Mrs Parry’s office about education and social injustice. Issy’s performance was an emotional tour de force that cut like a blade through the intricate layers of beautifully constructed and precisely observed classroom, staffroom and social politics, and laid bare the simple, heartfelt plea to be understood and to have a chance of a future. This was a play with style, and with substance; it fizzed and glittered with the charm and joy of a Mikado chorus line, and then suddenly turned and punched you in the stomach.

De Grey must be commended both for the ambition and the attention to detail of this year’s production. It was just magnificent, and magnificent too that In De Grey, just as in each of the four houses, a new generation of actors have found their place on stage.

Photo gallery (rehearsals and final performances)