As the term starts picking up the pace, the Prep Drama Department has been planting the seeds of what promises to be an exciting collection of performances.

The Snow Queen is the Yr 3 & Yr 4 production and I would recommend that you reserve your place for this show as soon as possible because it’s going to be popular. Mrs Thomas and Mrs Green will, once again, work their magic and transform the Ross Hall into a winter wonderland of song and dance that will have you all mesmerised by the talent that is on display.

Next term will see the Yr 7 & Yr 8 take to the skies in a production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. We are very excited about this production because the number of children who audition was a record and we have over fifty pupils taking part. If that isn’t enough, there will be a flying car buzzing around as the cast sing and dance their way through songs that are familiar and enjoyable. This will be a popular show, and once again I would urge you to reserve your place as soon as the dates are confirmed.

There will be more about the Yr 5 and Yr 6 show, and the LAMDA presentation evening later, but if you know Felsted Prep, then you’ll know the sort of amazing things that we’re keeping a lid on for now.

In academic drama, the pupils are continually challenged by work that is often of a GCSE standard and I’ve been amazed by the quality of presentations, and verbal contributions, from the children. 

The Year 5s have started their drama journey in Felsted with work on speaking, listening and a Sea Captain who doesn’t want to give them his treasure (get them to demonstrate some of the lateral thinking problems to you).

The Year 6s pupils have spent time learning stagecraft and how to get the most out of their time on the stage through character work and verbal choices.

The Year 7s have been taken to the trenches of World War One for a cross-curricular performance that follows a soldier from joining the army to the moments before running out into no-man’s land. The pupils produced work of such quality that it was enjoyable to be a part of the process.

Finally, the Year 8 pupils have been looking at using drama to bring a variety of issues to life. These have included a miscarriage of justice, social responsibility and exploring the truth behind various song lyrics.

So, you can see that the Drama Department are certainly working hard to encourage performance skills in all your children. I’m just thankful that they seem to enjoy the experience and have responded in the best possible Felstedian way!