English, Art and Drama pupils venture out to London
Some of our A Level English students enjoyed a fantastic evening at the National Theatre seeing Arthur Miller's The Crucible, a dramatised and partially fictionalised story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. And yes, that is water pouring down into the stage!
Fourth Form Artists visited the National Gallery to view Lucien Freud, one of the leading figurative painters of the twentieth century. Freud maintained a life-long interest in the human face and body and relentlessly explored the possibilities of portraiture. Pupils also visited the Winslow Homer exhibition featuring paintings depicting the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery highlighting the pressing issues of his time; conflict, race, and the relationship between humankind and the environment – issues still relevant for us today. Both are very different artists and it was a great opportunity to view their characteristic styles in real life.
It was a successful trip for the Drama Department to the Gielgud Theatre in the West End to see To Kill a Mockingbird. Fifth Form students watched a production of the play based on the 1960 novel by Harper Lee. The play chronicles the childhood of Scout and Jem Finch as their father Atticus defends Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of rape. Powerful, gripping and thought-provoking, especially considering its relevance during Black History Month.
