Drama

Since the founding of our school, drama and performance has played a central role in the creative and artistic life of Barney. Our focus on providing pupils with opportunities for stage experience is supported by outstanding facilities for learning and developing their skills. Our newly refurbished, dedicated Drama Studio is a vibrant hub for rehearsals and intimate productions and is always active with enthusiastic young performers. Our main production space – Big School – is equipped with sound and lighting of a high enough standard to attract visiting professional companies.

We stage a number of ambitious productions throughout the school year and competition for roles has increased as acting and technical skill levels continue to rise. The programme usually comprises the Senior Musical in the Michaelmas term, a Senior Play in the Lent term and both the Junior Play and Year 5 and 6 Prep School play in the Trinity term. Recent productions have included Little Shop of Horrors, Twelve Angry Men, Back to the 80s!, A Government Inspector, Our House, Noises Off and Sweeney Todd. We pride ourselves on the level of professionalism in our productions, which is often supported with choreography and dance coaching by former professionals. In addition, professional actors regularly visit School to run workshops.

Our A Level Drama and Theatre Studies course is popular and enhanced by examiner-assessed performances to which audiences are invited. Several pupils have gone on to take courses and leading drama colleges and to perform professionally.  Household names of stage and screen among our alumni include Kevin Whately, Glenn Hugill, Malcolm Terris and Olivier Award winner Dylan Emery.

Director of Drama and Head of Theatre Studies: Mr T S Edwards – tse@barneyschool.org.uk