Drama Clubs and Co-Curricular Opportunities
Drama at Queen’s offers a vibrant programme of clubs, productions and creative opportunities beyond the classroom. The department takes great pride in the quality and variety of productions staged each year, as well as in its inclusive approach, ensuring that as many pupils as possible can take part.
Pupils are encouraged to get involved in a range of roles, whether performing on stage, designing costumes and sets, or working behind the scenes as part of the technical or backstage team.
The department regularly collaborates with industry professionals, who work alongside pupils on writing and devising projects. In recent years, school productions have included Les Misérables, which involved more than 100 pupils performing on stage, playing in the orchestra and working backstage. Every pupil who wished to take part was given a role.
Other recent productions have included The Red Shoes, Annie (performed at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End), Little Red Cap, The Visit, Oliver!, Twelfth Night, Cinderella, Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast.
Each year, pupils also take part in House Drama, with all pupils in Years 7–10 encouraged to get involved, whether performing, directing or supporting the production.
Pupils can also work towards LAMDA qualifications, helping them to develop confidence, stage presence and technical performance skills.
The department frequently works with visiting theatre companies. Recent collaborations include working with Sorry, Say It Again Theatre to create Earnest?, a unique Play That Goes Wrong–style interpretation of The Importance of Being Earnest, and with Quirky Bird Theatre on a production of DNA.
Pupil-Led Productions and Drama Scholarships
Pupil leadership is an important part of the drama programme at Queen’s. We encourage pupil-led productions and initiatives that allow pupils to develop independence, build confidence and share their skills with others.
Current examples include the Performing Arts Club, led by Sixth Form pupils, and a production of A Doll’s House directed by a pupil in Year 9.
Theatre Trips
Queen’s central London location provides exceptional opportunities for theatre visits throughout the year. Each term pupils attend a range of performances across the capital, helping them experience professional theatre and deepen their understanding of performance.
Recent trips have included productions such as Hadestown, War Horse, Operation Mincemeat, Machinal and Stranger Things at venues including the National Theatre, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and theatres across the West End.
More recent visits have included Lost Atoms by Frantic Assembly, The Woman in Black, The Importance of Being Earnest and Les Misérables.