The Scholars Playa 'DNA' was performed on Friday 13 June, Will Clarke (Lower 6 Performing Arts Scholar) shares his experience of performing in the show below. DNA follows a group of teenagers’ attempts to cover up the death of another pupil (Abi) at their school whom they peer pressured into doing increasingly dangerous dares, eventually leading to her accidental ‘death’. DNA deals with a completely different subject matter to any other play the school has done before and goes about it in a totally unique way. The first time I read the play, I was instantly compelled to read it again, and it was gripping all the way through. The small cast size meant that we were all close by the end of the process and it allowed everyone to get to know each other on a deeper level. We used physical theatre in some sections which was nerve-racking to practise but rewarding to execute: Sruthi (playing Abi) had to fall backwards off a stack of three wooden boxes into the arms of the rest of the cast – this was daunting at first, but the result was a stunning and impactful visual. This, and similar exercises, helped develop the trust between us and strengthened our bond. DNA was the shortest rehearsal process I have ever been a part of: we came to the first rehearsal knowing all our lines, just 6 days before the show. We had all been given the script over half term, allowing us to explore and develop our characters individually, before uniting our interpretations in rehearsals. We had two full days of rehearsals the weekend before the show, as well as two shorter rehearsals throughout the week and a day of tech and dress on show day. This limited number of rehearsals meant that they were intense and stressful, but this matched the frantic nature of the narrative and added to the visceral feel of our performances. Personally, I enjoyed being able to dedicate large amounts of time solely to DNA over the course of the week. I played the role of Phil, and he is, in my opinion, the most complex and unique character I have ever gotten to play. He is mostly silent, but when he speaks, he is confident and commanding. Phil eats a different food in almost every scene, which was definitely a positive of getting to play this role. It was interesting to try and work out why he rarely spoke and constantly ate, and how I could find a way to sympathise with him despite his immoral actions. Whilst on the surface he is cold and cruel, inside, he is sensitive and emotional as shown by his last two scenes of the play. In rehearsals, debate was sparked about whether we should feel sorry for him or not, and it was fascinating to gather everyone else’s opinions and perspectives. Reviews and comments from audience members have been overwhelmingly positive, which is amazing to hear, as, although we only had 5 official rehearsals, everyone in the cast and crew worked incredibly hard, and it is relieving to know that our work paid off.

On Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 May, L5 Drama pupils presented four fantastically different plays that each group had been working on over the Lent term. On the Wednesday the evening kicked off with ‘Confusions’ by Alan Aykbourn, from which we saw two of the original five one-act plays; Gosforth’s Fete and A Talk In The Park. The plays were vastly different from one another yet were linked by the common themes of loneliness and relationships. The cast performed the subtleties of the everyday characters with great care and attention to detail, with fantastic comic timing. This was followed by ‘Bright Young Things’ by Georgie Christon. The play was set around a television talent show where young contestants competed to be the brightest young thing. As the play progressed the audience learnt more about each contestant, showing moments of real depth as well as humor, over the top characters and theatricality. The cast created a well-crafted journey for the audience with their multi-rolling and portrayal of different and big characters. On Thursday the night began with ‘Jump For Your Life’ by Ken Whitmore. The play saw young Frederick played by Tom Booth, and his troupe of makeshift actors trying to convince us, the audience, to jump in the air in 30 minutes time. The cast multi-rolled throughout and delivered a highly convincing performance filled with breaking the fourth wall, direct address, over the top characters and comedy, which resulted in the audience all jumping in the air! The night ended with A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd. The play told the story of Connor, played by Joseph Ladbrooke, a boy who is visited by a monster in the form of a Yew tree when his mother is dying of cancer. The cast used physical theatre, multi-rolling and strong characterisation to move the audience swiftly through every setting and experience as well as embracing the use of lighting and sound to bring this vivid theatrical experience to The Blake Studio.