Drama is a popular and high profile feature of the Hall School Wimbledon curriculum and every child has a role to play in the school’s annual performances.
From Reception to Year 2, the children use role play and improvisation to explore topics within the curriculum. Traditional tales and stories are used as a stimulus for group work and performance and they are taught a wide variety of theatre games and techniques which aim to improve their communication skills and develop their confidence. Each year group performs a Christmas play to the whole school and parents, friends and family.
In Years 3 to 6 various skills and techniques are introduced and developed. Through performance and group work, children explore the use of voice and body to create and sustain different characters. By the end of Year 4, every aspect of theatre will have been explored and children will have been playwrights, directors, set technicians, stagehands, costume designers and performers. Using Shakespeare, we later introduce monologue and soliloquy and the children are encouraged to think more deeply about their own performance styles. Each year group performs an annual production, with the Year 6 children staging a ‘farewell’ performance to the whole school and parents at the end of the Summer Term.
Forthcoming performances…
31 May 2012: Year 4 Performance of Harry Rings, Lord of the Potters
A lively and very funny parody in which well-known characters from the fantasy genre come together. Harry Rings, wizard potter at Hogwash School, and Mojo the hoblin (a cross between a hobbit and a goblin) unite against a common enemy (‘he who cannot be named but is called Fred’) to prevent him from gaining knowledge of the goblet of youth…
10 July 2012: Year 6 Farewell Performance of The Rocky Horror Monster Show
Bizarre, anarchic and very funny, this rock ‘n’ roll musical is a riotous mix of the Addams Family, Young Frankenstein and Phantom of the Opera, with Rebecca and The Rocky Horror Show thrown in for good measure! Baron Frankenstein’s descendant, and ex-pop star turned professor of Genetics, creates DNA moulds of people in his computer. How these moulds come to life as the ultimate Rock Group, headed by a clone of Elvis himself, is the highlight of the plot!
Past performances…
Read some reviews and view some photos of our 2011 and 2012 Junior School performances:
Year 5Y performance of The Rise and Fall of Lord Macbeth (March 2012)
This year, 5Y pupils presented their own version of Macbeth. A dark tale of ambition, greed and treachery needed to be told and the talented Ys relished the opportunity to narrate this tragic story. For two consecutive evenings this week, the Hall was a theatre where witches chanted, a king was murdered, blood was spilt and the ghost of Banquo appeared to torture Lady Macbeth, causing her to lose her mind. Photographs are available to view in our Photo Gallery.
Year 3A performance of Tuishi Pamoja (March 2012)
Our Year 3A pupils gave a dazzling musical performance of Tuishi Pamoja, a vibrant musical set in Africa that celebrates diversity and teaches the importance of accepting those who are different from us. According to tradition, stripes and spots (zebras and giraffes) simply don’t mix because that’s the way it has always been. When lions attack, two youngsters, Raffi and Zea, become separated from their herds and are alone at night in the presence of the Dream Spirits. With the help of some smart meerkats, they eventually come to realise that friendship makes it all worthwhile. Photographs are available to view in our Photo Gallery.
Pre-Prep Christmas Performances 2011
Reception D made their HSW drama debut with ‘A Little Nativity’ – a play set on Christmas Eve when none of the children want to go to bed and beg to be told a story. The Reception D children confidently acted out the traditional nativity story through songs, asking ‘What happened next?’ after each song until it really was time to go to bed! Photographs are available to view in our Photo Gallery.
Year 1C’s performance of ‘Not Such a Silent Night’ opened with the innkeeper calling his animals into the stable but they made such a noise that they frightened little Larry Lamb away… Dressed in fabulous costumes and featuring some excellent solo performances, the 1C children told the story of Larry Lamb’s return to the stable where Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus were bringing peace among the animals. Photographs are available to view in our Photo Gallery.
Finally, the Year 2B children delighted us with a performance of ‘A Tale of Two Birthdays’ – a highly entertaining Christmas musical that followed the three Kings Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar on an eventful journey as they followed an unusually bright star to Bethlehem. The singing and story telling was of an exceptionally high standard and raised many chuckles from the audience. We must also mention the excellent choreography – from the Arabic dancing of the Eastern and Sand dancers to the groovy dance moves of the Kings! Photographs are available to view in our Photo Gallery.
Year 6W performance of Treasure Island (July 2011)
For their final performance at Beavers Holt, our Year 6W pupils gave an exciting and theatrical performance of Treasure Island, a comical and tuneful adaptation of the children’s classic tale of pirates. Photographs are available to view in our Photo Gallery.
Year 4Y performance of Sheherazade (June 2011)
Our Year 4Y pupils treated parents to a colourful and exotic performance of Sheherazade, a musical story of Arabia. They gave a spectacular performance acting out tales of voyages at sea, Ali Baba and the forty thieves and Aladdin and his magic lamp. Eye catching costumes and spirited singing made for a very impressive show! Photographs are available to view in our Photo Gallery.
Year 5X performances of Romeo and Juliet (March 2011)
Each of our Year 5X classes performed an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s popular tragic romance on two consecutive evenings in March. Each class brought its own take to the same script and put on a fabulous show. Photographs of these performances are available to view in our Photo Gallery.
Year 3Z performance of Tattybogle (March 2011)
Tattybogle is a musical about a happy scarecrow who loves everything…even the crows! Spirited performances were given by all of our Year 3Z children who were dressed in superb costumes provided by parents. Photographs of this performance are available to view in our Photo Gallery.