|
At Hebron
every student has the opportunity to take part in a play or dramatic
production at least once every two years. The School believes in the
importance of cultivating confidence and in developing poise in public.
As well as encouraging debating, public speaking and oral contributions in
class, the School enables students to speak in public on several occasions.
This might be delivering a notice in Assembly, reading a lesson
in a service or given a speech at a formal dinner. Above all, it
means having the chance to contribute to a class play every other year.
In October every year, Hebron
puts on a Drama Festival. This lasts some three days and is
attended by parents, other schools, visitors to the Nilgiris and special
guests. Rehearsals begin in August with staff producing the younger plays
and students increasingly taking the lead until Standard 13 (the top year)
where the play is entirely student-led, acted and managed. It is the
‘odd-numbered’ classes in the Middle and Senior School which put on a play:
Standards 7, 9A and 9alpha, 11A and 11alpha, and Standard 13. The younger
three plays last about 45 minutes each and are adjudicated in one (Junior)
competition whilst the Standard 11’s put on an hour and a half each and the
Standard 13’s a full-length dramatical production in the Senior competition.
In each age category there is a prize for the Best Play, Best Actor, Best
Actress (and runners-up) with certificates of special commendation. Judges
are invited from outside the School community and they join with two staff
members and the member of staff responsible for drama to ensure ‘fair play’!
Choice of plays for the
Festival has varied widely. Juniors often
choose musicals or comedies whilst the Seniors may go for something more
serious. Occasionally staff and students will write their own plays.
Examples of recent productions are as follows:
Junior Plays:
·
Tambulane
the Mad Hen (Adrian Mitchell), Androcles
and the Lion (George Bernard Shaw), Kes (Barry Hines/Allan
Stronach), A Good Knight’s Work (Allan Mackay), Split Personality,
Football Crazy (Jane Liddiard)
Senior Plays:
·
You can’t
take it with you (Moss Hart/George Kauffman),
Midsummer’s Night’s Dream (William Shakespeare), Front View
(Sean van der Lat), The Roses of Eyam (Don Taylor), Twelfth Night
(William Shakespeare)
The Junior School (Standards
1-6) puts on a Christmas Play, usually a Nativity, which enables
every single student to get up on stage! During Parents’ Week in
April there is usually some kind of musical or dramatic production put on by
the Drama Club which gets together in the first half of Term 2. Recently a
rendering of the ‘Wizard of Oz’ was performed. On a week to week
basis there are other opportunities, too, to ‘tread the boards’ through
class assemblies and occasional Student Council events.
The School accepts that not
all students enjoy acting in front of others. Thus, whilst every
encouragement is given to perform, as students get older they may opt to
help ‘behind scenes’ with costumes, make up, lighting, sound and scenery
production. Taking part in a Play is a real team effort! Do access the
photographs on this website from the 2003 productions but, better still,
why not come to the Nilgiris in early October to sample Hebron’s outstanding
Drama Festival? It’s a great time for prospective parents to visit! |