OUR PUPILS

Plays and productions
Latymer is very proud of its drama tradition and enjoys a reputation for consistently outstanding productions. The Drama Department aims to put on a variety of shows, both fun and challenging, many offering opportunities to large numbers of people both on stage and behind the scenes. Others have smaller casts and allow the most talented students to perform at a very high level. Open auditions are held for all school productions.

The Main School Play takes place in the last week of the Autumn Term, just before Christmas, and the cast is made up of children from all years - 7 to Sixth Form. Past productions include Macbeth, Ghetto, Cabaret, A Christmas Carol, Much Ado about Nothing and Oliver, which was performed in December 2006 to great critical acclaim, and this year The Visit.  The Autumn Term also sees the Sixth Form play performed. This is a smaller production, for those in Lower and Upper Sixth only, and offers an opportunity for a more serious, smaller production. Recent years have seen students perform Noises Off, David Mamet's The Shawl, Strindberg's The Creditors, Les Liasion Dangereuses and in 2007, The Trial, a particularly challenging work.

In the Spring Term, the Middle School Play is performed by Years 9, 10 and 11. Previous successes have included Tartuffe, The Government Inspector, State of Revolution and last year, Caryl Churchill's Mad Forest, a most impressive performance which involved the cast learning some Romanian.  A stunning production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible was put on in March this year.

The Lower School, Years 7 and 8, perform their play in the Summer Term. This tends to be a work with a large cast, and is always a great success. The 2004 production of Wind in the Willows was followed in 2005 by a triumphant performance of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which had a cast of 50 and a set including a two-storey house. This was followed in 2006 by Peter Pan, another ambitious and hugely successful production. Last year the Lower School put on Babe, The Sheep Pig - a very imaginative and heart-warming production and in May 2008, The Witches is the chosen production.

Drama Facilities

Opened in November 1999, the Edward Latymer Theatre is a professional standard theatre. Housing a professional lighting rig and sound equipment, it holds an audience of 300. The auditorium covers three levels and it is possible to do theatre in the round. In addition to other school events, the theatre is home to the Drama Department. This is where productions, workshops, drama classes and play rehearsals take place.

The stage has impressive depth and we have been able to use this to build large-scale sets and to stage productions with casts of over 50.

Clubs

There are two Drama Clubs that specialise in acting, one for the lower School (Years 7 and 8) and one for the middle School (Years 9, 10 and 11). These take place at lunch times, once a week, and are run by Sixth Formers. The Sixth Formers lead a variety of activities with the younger students and their work may culminate in a performance in the Spring Term.

Technical Drama Clubs are run by the theatre manager and his assistant. There are two of these clubs, one for the lower School and one for the middle School. They are open to anyone with an interest in the technical side of theatre and cover lighting, sound, set design, costume design and stage management. As our theatre managers are professionals with a background in the theatre, this is an exceptional opportunity that should not be missed. The Technical Drama Clubs take place once a week at lunch times and participants form the crews for all of our shows. All levels are welcome!

Private Tuition

Speech and Drama classes take place at lunch times and after school. The students can work either in groups, in duos or solo. Some of the groups elect to do devised work, improvising and creating their own plays. Others prefer to work with scripts. All students have the choice of taking LAMDA examinations although some choose not to undertake these. There are two LAMDA teachers who teach approximately 100 pupils.

The Speech and Drama classes have proved exceptionally popular with pupils. As well as gaining confidence and important drama skills, some of the younger pupils have found the lessons an enjoyable social experience in which they have worked with people outside their immediate peer group. Academically, the older students have found that the skills they have acquired have had a positive effect on their A level work.

Beyond School

Latymer's drama staff are always happy to help students prepare for National Youth Theatre or other professional auditions, both by advising them about audition speeches and helping them rehearse. We actively encourage students to audition for the National Youth Theatre (NYT): being a member of the NYT is an excellent experience. As well as being educational and fun it can be a high profile event and allows those who are passionate about drama to meet others who share their love of the subject.

Sixth Form actors and stage crews take plays to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival every two years. Students get the opportunity to compare their work with some of the best in the business, and experience life as a professional performer first-hand. Latymer's acting alumni include such well-known talents as Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman and Mel Smith.