One Act, Take Four - KES Drama Takes to the Stage

January 7th 2021

Proving that nothing can stop KES Drama putting on a show this year, instead of the usual Senior School production at the end of the Autumn Term, the department staged four very different open dress rehearsals, directed by four different directors, involving four different year group bubbles during its first ever ‘KES One Act Showcase’. When so many arts provisions were limited across the UK, we were very lucky that at KES that we have the staff and the facilities to be able to offer such a wonderful range of performance opportunities!

The Showcase was an exciting, challenging and collaborative project which the Drama department embarked on together, with the different plays exploring comedy, symbolism, puppetry, dance and physical theatre, which showcased the range of incredible talent across the year groups and provided an entertaining range of theatre over the course of show week!

More about the plays…

The Year 10 cast were directed by Mrs Bruton and performed The Cagebirds by David Campton (presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samuel French ltd). This is an abstract piece, set in a metaphorical birdcage which explores themes of freedom and oppression and the cages we trap ourselves and others in. The audience were promised ‘Comic, sinister and thought-provoking by turns – with a shocking twist at the end!’ – they were not disappointed!

Year 11 were directed by Mrs Tamblyn, and performed an original, reworking of The Importance of Being Earnest. This contemporary jazzy, musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play took the audience on a journey to The London Cocktail Club and Ye Olde Worthing Country Pub. The performers ignited the tale with a new layer of absurdity, themes of confused identities, social rituals and romance, and incorporated more Wildean wit than ever before!

"Year 11’s modernised production of The Importance of Being Earnest brought some much-needed merriment to the end of this challenging term. Despite significant disruption to their rehearsal schedule, the cast brought Wilde’s play to life with considerable aplomb, building to a fast-paced and hilarious climax. The contemporary staging – replete with leopard print coats, smartphones and even a glitter ball – worked well, serving to accentuate the narcissistic traits of some of the characters. There was also music and dancing to punctuate the scenes, performed energetically by a fantastic ensemble, including a surprising but fitting rendition of Avril Lavigne’s ‘Complicated’. All in all, an exuberant show that sent its audience out on a high for the Christmas break. Bravo!"

Reviewed by: Mr E Rice | English Teacher

Year 12, directed by Mrs Stevens-Craig performed The Red Shoes (based on plays by Anna Maria Murphy and adapted by Emma Rice). This fun, lively and at times brutal reimagining of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairytale drew on Kneehigh Theatre traditions and conventions using an eclectic mix of music, puppetry, and dance to deliver a captivating tale about obsession and dance!

"Opportunity hasn’t really knocked in this curious year, but KES Drama hasn’t stopped. And so it was that Year 12 emerged from behind their masks to present The Red Shoes at the end of a term like no other. The story felt very 2020 – questioning how much you can dare to be different and dance your own dance in the face of powerful external factors holding you back. Huge dark shadows encircled the actors’ eyes (quick check in the mirror – yep, definitely 2020, we’ve all got those in abundance). As an ensemble piece, it thrived on much of the absurdity and hysteria that we’ve all felt, but it also had an uplifting feeling of togetherness, brought about through the powerful blend of singing voices, smart percussion played on suitcases and the pleasing aesthetics of careful choreography. For a performance forged despite obstruction and frustration, it was characterised by fluidity and fun."

Reviewed by: Mr J Kean | English Teacher

The Year 13 students were directed by our Drama department Intern Charlie Howard and performed Beautiful Burnout by Bryony Lavery. A physical, edgy and visceral play about boxing which explored what it takes to be successful and at what cost does this come?

"Beautiful Burnout: The play that brought a new level to the already high-standard of KES productions. Not only was this an extremely modern and physical piece, it touched on contemporary topics that made the audience become engulfed in the action; from relationships to the stressors of being a high-class athlete, the cast successfully maintained the vigour and humour needed to execute such a professional performance. Although disadvantaged by the restrictions of the Coronavirus pandemic, the intensity of the action-packed play was far from restrained as each cast member had swift, crisp and controlled movements that consistently created beautiful moments of unison on stage."

Reviewed by: Minnie Leigh & Lily Page | Year 13

You can view images from all four performances on our flickr gallery here:

Flickr album: The Importance of Being Earnest - Year 11 Open Dress Rehearsal | Height: auto | Theme: Default