Potting shed becomes new drama centre
A new state-of-the art drama centre is now open at King Edward’s School. The Rose was unveiled by Tom Morris OBE, artistic director of the Bristol Old Vic. Incorporating a new studio and breakout teaching space, the twostorey facility provides a new hub for drama at the senior school. It will also be used by the Wroughton Theatre as a specialist teaching setting for Drama and LAMDA lessons, as well as a performance venue in its own right. Drama has long flourished at KES, and its appeal has further increased in recent years with evergrowing numbers of pupils participating in school plays or electing to study drama at GCSE and A-level. A thriving LAMDA programme has quadrupled in size since its launch a couple of years ago and recent department innovations have seen KES pupils perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe or participate in the National Theatre’s Connections programme. Students and staff have even written, produced and performed in their own musical: Pop! The Rose has been built in direct response to this vibrant and ambitious part of school life. Only 18 months ago the site of the new drama centre was known as R11 and its origins were as a Victorian potting shed. The £1.2 million drama centre provides a highly adaptable professional performance and rehearsal space, equipped with top of the range lighting and sound systems. Provisions include a versatile and eco-friendly LED lighting system and new sound equipment capable of supporting drama performances, live gigs and small musicals alike. New staging solutions promise a welcoming space for audiences, with a raked seating bank, as well as modular demountable staging to suit a variety of performance needs. Headmaster Martin Boden said: “Our aim in building The Rose was to create an inspiring studio setting that would give pupils a genuine taste of working in a professional drama environment and a learning experience that would heighten both their performance and technical skills. “Much of the professional fitting out of the new centre is down to the very generous support of our parents and friends of the school, who have enabled us to equip The Rose to an industry standard so that we can teach the technical aspect of drama, such as lighting, set, sound and costume design, whilst also giving pupils a professional backdrop to explore and develop their creativity, both on stage and behind the scenes.” Mrs Tamblyn, from the drama department, added: “It feels like we’re teaching in a professional Drama school, such as Central or RADA,” Ms Long, a fellow KES Drama colleague agreed: “We now have a professional space fit for any company to use.” The opening of The Rose was marked by performances by some of the school’s students. Guests were greeted by live music, ahead of watching groups rehearsing their scripted scenes. In addition, LAMDA pupils performed extracts from Antigone by Sophocles and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, while Year 10s performed an extract from Mark Wheeller’s Hard to Swallow.