As an observer, one of the of the most striking things about Drama Society, is the fact that boys from all year groups work and learn together. Older boys teach younger boys, and younger boys grow in confidence as they perform in front of their older peers. It is wonderful to witness.
The next thing you notice is just how much fun the boys have, and that was certainly the case at this week’s Drama Society when Fifth Former Henry Gillham took the helm and ran a fabulous session on improvisational theatre.
Henry took the idea from his time spent attending the National Youth Theatre (NYT) over the summer.
Read: National Youth Theatre Call for Henry.
Under Henry’s direction, boys warmed up by acting out an action of their choice, everything from shaving to shopping, driving to doing their hair. For the main part of the session, boys paired up and were allocated a brand or a well-known confectionery, for example Levi’s, Coca-Cola, Skittles and Maltesers, that they were then required to advertise to the rest of the group. The only stipulation was that their adverts had to be improvised.
Henry Gillham directing the session at Drama Society
It was not just the boys that got into character. Drama teachers Mrs Keylock and Ms Boughey took on the role of ‘critical directors’. It was their job to give the boys (while in character) a tough time and, in doing so, really got the boys thinking, and stretching their range and abilities. For example, the boys were asked to adopt various regional accents at the drop of a hat, and, in some cases, stop talking altogether and use physical theatre to get their message across.
Henry explained, “It was the actress Lauren Lyle (who starred in Outlander and Vigil), who inspired me to try this exercise here. During my time with the NYT, this exercise was the first real bit of improv that we tried. We all had such a laugh and it was brilliant fun. I just wanted the boys to experience it, and it was also a great opportunity for the teachers to get into role too and show their acting side, which we don’t normally see.”
The sketches were surprisingly polished and looked well-rehearsed, and the boys coped well with the faux harsh comments from the ‘directors’. Whilst having a lot of fun, the boys were able to practise (some for the first time) and get their first taste of improv acting.
Drama Society runs every Friday lunchtime in school, and every week the theme is different; from boy-led sessions to famous playwrights giving lectures, as well as visiting professional actors and practitioners. The first Drama Society session of the year was run by its President, Lower Sixth Former Will Hayward, who took an informative lecture on French writer and poet Antonin Artaud. Next week will see Vice Presidents of the society, Lower Sixth Former Millan Verwoert will deliver a session.
