Year 6 play
As part of Drama lessons in Year 6, pupils work on preparing a full-scale production which includes every member of the year group. This is performed in the Fiennes Theatre in the summer term. Recent productions include ‘Matilda’, ‘Shrek: The Musical’, and ‘The Aristocats’.
Year 7 and Junior play
The Year 7 and 8 Junior play is hugely popular annual event. Pupils audition for and rehearse a full-length play which is performed in an evening of the summer term in the Fiennes Theatre. Previous plays have included ‘The Mouse and his Child’, ‘Grimm Tales’ and ‘Illuminous’.
Middle school play
The middle school play is a biennial event for pupils from Years 9-11. Plays run over the course of three nights in December, performed in the Fiennes Theatre. Previous productions include ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’.
Senior play
The senior play is a biennial event for pupils from Year 10 to the Upper Sixth. Plays run over the course of three nights. Previous productions have included ‘Oedipus / Antigone’, Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ and Noel Coward’s ‘Brief Encounter’.
The school musical
One of the key features which sets Emanuel drama apart from other London day school’s is that we produce and perform a large-scale musical each year. We alternate the year groups involved so that we can produce a more eclectic range of productions. This enables members of the senior school who wish to audition for drama school courses the ability to add more mature performance work to their portfolio.
The school musical is a whole school event, which typically involves over 100 pupils. This is performed in the Hampden Hall in March over the course of a week. Past performances have included ‘Oliver!’, ‘Made in Dagenham’, ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘The Producers’ and ‘Little Shop of Horrors’.
ETC Project
Pupils in the Lower Sixth are given the opportunity to direct their own play at Emanuel, in which they cast Year 9 or 10 pupils in a play performed in February. They are in charge of all steps of the process, including choosing a play, budgeting, costume, lighting, set design and directing.
Play in a Week
We finish each school year with a performance including a range of pupils from Years 8 all the way to the Upper Sixth (depending on the project). This is rehearsed and created within a week. Previous performances have included a promenade site-specific performance on Dacre Day, ‘Rhinoceros’ and ‘Zero for the Young Dudes’.