Drama

The Year 8 drama club recently performed an adaptation of ‘Madeline’, the tale of 12 girls who attend a boarding school in Paris, written by Darcey in Y10.

Darcey explains the process:

“I came up with the idea to transcribe Madeline after I’d seen Mrs F-B struggling to find a play that felt completely right for her Year 8 drama club. Not to say that there weren’t some great plays there, but something about each one didn’t quite work, like a cast requirement that couldn’t easily be met. She wanted something light, charming, and fun for the group in mind.

I started thinking of  options that would fit – and my mind kept returning to my childhood favourite, Madeline. I searched for a script that I could show her but, surprisingly, there weren’t any online. And then I thought of a way I could make it work, which was to transcribe one personalised for the Year 8 cast – straight from the movie.

Unfortunately I was unwell for the first few days of last term, but that gave me some uninterrupted time at home. Every cloud! I worked on the basis of the script for about 4 days, and then added to it every so often to make the final piece. I would watch the movie, press pause, and then transcribe the essential dialogue into a script form. Yes, at first it did take a while but as I worked through it, I got the hang of it – and I genuinely found writing it out completely enthralling – honestly, try it! It’s really quite addictive!

We decided that every girl was to play one of the ’12’ little girls (in our case ’17’ little girls), whenever they weren’t playing their titled role. This allowed us to split up the roles so everyone had fun, challenging parts to play at all times, rarely leaving the stage.

When the girls started their rehearsals, I came occasionally to help out; my friend Anjolie and I worked with smaller groups separately so they could get the individual focus they needed for particular scenes. It was so nice to see them putting work into their characters to make them authentic, but with their own slight twists. They seemed to be having a lot of fun in rehearsals, doubled over laughing at times, and they all worked so well together as an ensemble. I must admit it was very funny working on, say, the bullfighting scene between Pepito and Vicky.

Then, it was time to piece it all together and I absolutely loved watching the script I had written evolve. Roxie and Cecily (Y12) and I assembled the red-ribboned boater hats which would bedeck every girl, and we also helped with writing notes on tech, characters, and the ensemble altogether. I sent the cast our feedback and they used it so well, and the improvements from the dress rehearsal to the final performance were evident and brilliant.

They clearly put time in away from school, and it was obvious in several ways – including hearing the Ambassadress reciting a 24-word long name – in fluent Spanish. I also loved being let in on their secret of them all throwing their hats in the air in the end. It was little things like that which made me feel honoured – that they were having fun and working hard at something I had written for them.

I am pretty sure they enjoyed the experience as much as I did and I would love to thank Year 8 Drama Club 2025 for making my script come to life.”

We’ve all read the tales before. A Baker and his wife wish to have a child; Cinderella wishes to attend the King’s Festival; and Jack wishes his cow would give milk.

This year’s Senior Musical was ‘Into the Woods’, one of Stephen Sondheim’s most popular works. The show reminds us that in real life, there won’t necessarily be a picture book perfect ‘happily ever after’ but that no one is alone, and together, journeying hopefully, we can make the future brighter.

With over 20 different leading parts to play, there was plenty of opportunity for students to each take on an important role in the production.

The set was made from a unique mix of paper and old books, which students and teachers bonded over glueing together at lunch times and after school.

Mrs Johnson, Director, says, “As a school founded in 1880, we have a number of old books, sitting on shelves at the back of the senior hall, unread for decades. So, when the Drama and English departments had to make some space on their bookshelves for new texts and recycle the old (not valuable) books – I saw an opportunity!

In our production of Into The Woods, The Narrators are children sent to their room to read themselves a bedtime story and escape the real world into a world literally made from books, Milky White included!”

‘Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.’ 

Y11&12 performed ‘Macbeth’ – a rendition set across three distinctive time periods, commenting on societal fears and paranoia in each age. Performed across two evenings, the production made a powerful impact with its minimal staging and prominent use of lighting, sound and video projections.

Agnes and Libby, who played two of the three alternating Macbeth’s, explain the process below:

“When deciding on an approach to this year’s Senior Play, we gave ourselves one primary task: “Don’t make Antigone 2”. In last year’s production of Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, we set the drama in an unspecified, timeless world. This year, we wanted to go to the other extreme, staging Macbeth in three distinct time periods: a medieval battlefield, a Soviet surveillance state and a dystopian tomorrow. The curse of the witches is a virus which plagues mankind throughout history, tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, in a constantly recurring cycle of bloodshed, and we wanted to explore how this manifests itself in tyranny, fear and paranoia.

In Shakespeare’s original medieval setting, society was governed by a strict hierarchy, the Great Chain of Being, which ensured that all creatures remained in their social standing allocated by God. However, when Macbeth commits the act of regicide and subsequently becomes king, this God-given natural order is overturned and the country is thrown into chaos. We decided to interpret this turmoil differently in our Soviet setting, where surveillance culture and paranoia is perpetuated by a totalitarian state, whose power is upheld through repression and censorship – a different presentation of corruption. For our final dystopian world, we wanted to reflect our contemporary fears: the dominance of AI, overconsumption, and the destruction of the natural world. Therefore, our third world is not a distant apocalyptic one; it is one we already live in.”

The closing night of school productions is inevitably one of the most emotional. There are mixed feelings of relief and sadness that the months of hard work and late-night rehearsals have all come to an end, but there is also the feeling that the whole show is now a distant fever dream. There are often tears and long hugs on this night, as it brings together cast mates and supportive audience members alike. Drama student Beatrice D commented saying, “As I perform on closing night, I feel a sense of sadness that this will be the last time I ever say my lines again ”

On the 8th of February 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to watch Wimbledon High School students from years 10 to 13 perform their fantastic Senior Musical of Amélie. Based on the 2001 romantic comedy film of the same name, music and lyrics by Daniel Messé and Nathan Tysen follow the whimsical adventures of Amélie, a shy waitress who secretly helps the people around her while searching for her own happiness.

The students performed an incredible adaptation of this much-loved story, directed by Wimbledon High’s legendary Drama teacher, Fiona Johnson. They stunned the packed audience with their magnificent acting talents and singing voices, making bold creative choices that brought the show to life. The beautifully designed set pieces submerged the audience into the late 20th-century contemporary styles of France, enhancing the romantic atmosphere of Paris.

Deciding to anonymously help and bring joy into the lives of others, Amélie goes on a journey of personal self-discovery which leads to her falling in love with Nino, a man she meets. He is fascinated by the pictures that people leave behind in a photo booth and their untold stories.

However, underneath the bright lights and romance, the show explores intricate themes of isolation and how the power of imagination serves as a coping mechanism to escape from the chaos of one’s life. Amélie delves into what it means to hide one’s identity and the struggle of breaking down walls of doubt in a new relationship. Beatrice commented on her role as Amélie’s father, saying: “Playing a character that is on the surface comedically inclined and often evokes laughter from the audience meant I really had to connect with my character on a deeper level to understand and convey his more emotional backstory.”

Moreover, the ensemble came together effortlessly to recreate the bustling streets of France. Nino’s ‘When the Booth Goes Bright’, sung by Emma H was one of the strongest and most emotive musical numbers. Additionally, Emily S’s strikingly accurate impersonation of Elton John mesmerized the audience with her bold solo – stealing the show as she was encored at the end of the night.

It was a marvellous and magical evening, with feelings of thrill and sadness intertwined. Ultimately, the parting message that the future is unknown rings true, but that one should enjoy the present moment while it lasts. The dark undertones within the show contrast with the comedy, bringing each song to life. It was a breath-taking production for everyone to watch.

(Review written for This is Local London)