Curriculum, Teaching & Learning

Drama

Drama is an integral part of the Curriculum and Co-Curriculum at Tiffin. As a subject, it is compulsory in Years 7 and 8 and an option in Year 9, with both GCSE and A Level Drama available to our most enthusiastic dramatists, of which there are many. We take students to see a wide range of productions every year to engage them in the experience of live theatre; past trips have included The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time, Macbeth, Constellations, War Horse, Timon of Athens, The Woman in Black and Jerusalem. We also offer workshops for boys and have been fortunate enough to work closely with The Bear Trap Theatre Company and The Rose Theatre. Drama at Tiffin does not end in the classroom, with a range of opportunities for pupils of all ages.

Every year we run a main school production which is open to students from Year 7 to Year 13 and is a perfect opportunity for pupils to mix with different year groups. Productions typically alternate between plays and musicals with past productions including ‘Oliver!’, ‘Richard III’, ‘Les Miserables’, ‘The Madness of King George’, ‘Sweeney Todd’, ‘The Government Inspector’ and ‘West Side Story’. Alongside this, we run a lower school production to give more opportunities for boys in Years 7, 8 and 9 to take centre stage. This has been incredibly successful and afforded pupils an opportunity to approach the challenges of learning scripts and engaging with an audience. Past productions include ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘The Lord of the Flies’ and ‘Animal Farm’. Additionally, a Sixth Form studio production was introduced with a highly acclaimed production of Laura Wade’s ‘Posh’, and recently, the Sixth Form students have performed ‘Katzenmusik: a play performed backwards’.

Students are encouraged to stage their own productions which, in recent years, have included ‘Office Hours’, ‘The History Boys’ and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. Alongside the many pupils who enjoy acting, many more become involved in drama at Tiffin as technicians: planning, preparing and operating the sets, sound and lighting in productions each year. A lower school drama club encourages budding young performers, including those who perhaps lack the confidence of their peers and would like the opportunity to work in a relaxed and fun environment with like-minded individuals.