Drama and theatre studies
The opportunities to explore drama at CLSG - as actors, directors, designers or stage technicians - are numerous and varied. Drama lessons are vibrant, energetic, exciting and demanding.
Drama and theatre studies at City
Drama and theatre studies give the students room to develop a range of important personal qualities, including confidence, compassion and empathy.
Why study drama and theatre at City?
Drama at CLSG is a dynamic creative process and we aim to build confidence, compassion and empathy through physical and vocal work, whilst engaging our students in challenging creative projects. At City we want students to take the lead, so they are encouraged to use their own observations and experiences as part of their creative journey. We encourage an awareness of the importance of drama and theatre in past and contemporary societies and there is always an emphasis on the value of co-curricular work.
There are full scale productions in year 7, 8 and 9 and a major senior drama production in November of each year. Every other year this is a musical in association with CLS. The drama department at CLS often invites students to audition for their productions and CLS students often audition at CLSG. Sixth formers are strongly encouraged to produce their own work and become theatre makers, creating strong female-led pieces which are relevant, topical and challenging.
Year 11 house drama officers play a key role in the management and delivery of the annual house drama competition. Sixth formers run the junior drama club for year 7 and can make this part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award. Filmmaking opportunities are currently being built into the drama offering at CLSG, with the recent year 8 production being a full-length feature film.
We take multiple trips to London theatres, seeking to watch productions which interrogate contemporary issues, particularly those surrounding identity, race, gender and sexuality. In fact, we build into our lessons the requirement for students to address and question what might be outdated, stereotypical notions of these concerns. Students reflect on how theatre can be utilised to reflect upon these contemporary issues to, subsequently, contribute to a progressive, forward moving society.
Our Staff
Curriculum
Year 7-9
Students are encouraged to use their own observations in the creation of work. Skills taught and projects covered are many and varied, from voice-work to mime, from improvisations to scripted work, from theatre history to modern practice. Students are also able to study more specific skills in detail, including technical and design elements.
Year 10-11
Students select a skill or skills which they wish to specialise in and then perform and design productions of scripted and devised work. Written work covers assessments of the students' practical work and performances seen, plus the study of a text. There are frequent visits to innovative professional theatre productions, and practitioners are invited into school for lectures, talks and workshops. Students follow the WJEC GCSE Drama course.
“I love drama at A-level because I can push boundaries and explore ideas creatively in a way that’s different to any other subject. You become really close with the class and build a support network. There’s never a dull moment because the lesson structure constantly changes.” Lily
“We can combine knowledge from all different subjects.” Maia
“We learn more about the world because we have freedom with what we want to explore in depth.” Kayla
Beyond the curriculum
On average examination students visit professional shows around a dozen times a year. The department's aim is to make use of the great variety of shows which are on offer in London. While we occasionally visit more mainstream productions such as musicals and classics, the department actively seeks out those production which will stretch the students knowledge and experience, visiting experimental theatre companies, circus, dance, site-specific theatre.
We live in what is arguably the theatre capital of the world, we have the wonderful Barbican Theatre on our doorstep with its emphasis on bringing in theatre from around the world, and we aim to take advantage.
‘Here, what counts are ideas. And in the heat of adolescence, students can develop what they think and believe is important, often giving them confidence that will last a lifetime.’ Read @clsghead ‘s article in today’s @telegraph via the link in our bio.
Read moreOur latest tweet
24 November 2023
Year 12 mathematicians had a great trip to the maths in action conference last week. Topics covered included Fermat's last theorem and transforming mobius strips, how MRI scanners function & how numbers determine which musical notes sound good together.
