Performing Arts Trips

Hamilton

BTEC Drama Year 10 students  went to the Victoria Theatre yesterday to watch the production of Hamilton.

The students, accompanied by KS5 students loved the show and kept talking about the performance and how much they’ve enjoyed the next day.

Written by the great Lin Manuel Miranda, Hamilton is the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today. The score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway – the story of America then, as told by America now.

Caiyen in Year 10 said “The show is so much fun and the music is really lively.”

Kin

A few months ago, the GCSE Drama Year 10 students went to the National Theatre for a Conference day about the theatre industry in the UK and to watch the production of Kin, a production by Gecko.

The students learnt about Gecko’s work and how the actors use the physical bodies and their voices when performing their productions. The students also had a small workshop with theatre critic, Lyn Gardener.

Kin is about a young child, Leah, who in 1932, embarked on an epic journey from Yemen to Palestine. Ninety years later her grandson, Gecko’s Artistic Director Amit Lahav, imagines the voyage her family made to escape persecution and build a better life.

Gecko’s eighth theatre production sees Amit, together with Gecko’s extraordinary ensemble of international devising performers, present a provocative story of desperation and compassion. At a time when the re-birth of community and acceptance seem vital to our survival, they bring their own experiences of migration, racism, empathy and home to this poetically intoxicating performance.

Koby in Year 10T said: “The show was fantastic and the story was so moving. The actors were really talented and I loved how they told their stories about their experiences with Immigration”

Guys and Dolls

A few weeks ago, the BTEC Year 10 Music students went to the Bridge Theatre to watch the incredibly fun music Guys & Dolls.

The students absolutely loved this show and most of them bought hats and pretzels to feel even more immersed in the action.

Guys and Dolls follows Nathan Detroit, a Manhattan gambler who needs to find a new location for his crap shooting games, pronto. He’s helped by Sky Masterson, who takes a chance on Nathan, settling their deal on a bet: Nathan bets Sky that he can’t take a woman of his choosing on a date. But as they meet their “doll,” Sarah Brown, the odds of falling in love go down until it’s almost inevitable.

Hannah in 9T said: “This show is awesome. The costumes were really colourful and the dancing was brilliant!”