EMBLEY NEWS
Showtime for Drama scholars
Embley's Drama scholars enjoyed an action packed weekend in London including a selection of West End shows, a backstage tour of the National Theatre and a dance workshop at Pineapple Studios.During a packed weekend of activities, the scholars learned choreography at Pineapple Studios from a current musical on the West End which was led by one of the cast members from the show. They enjoyed watching Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part 1 & Part 2 and the National Theatre's production of Shakespeare's Coriolanus.
Here are some photos and insights from scholars having returned from London.
Annabelle: 'On Friday we went to see both Part 1 & 2 of J.K Rowling’s West End play ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’. It was an immersive, magical extravaganza, filled with amazing set, effects and a gripping story, transporting us back through time to the very beginning!'
Oliver: 'On the Embley Drama trip to London we had the pleasure of seeing two shows. One of the shows we enjoyed was Coriolanus. We watched this in the Olivier Theatre, the largest auditorium in the National Theatre. Coriolanus, is a lesser-known Shakespeare play about an ancient Roman warrior based on the life of Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus.
The entire story was brought to life on stage in a very exciting and contemporary way. The play opened in a museum with artefacts placed from the time period. There was also a modern twist to the design of the play, such as the use of the huge screens to draw the audience's eyes to certain parts of the stage and the use of lighting and effects, which made the whole experience of watching invigorating. There was also a heavy undertone of modern political events.'
"Being able to dance in Pineapple Studios is a dream come true for so many young dancers and we were lucky enough to experience it! We started with musical theatre fundamentals, turns, kicks and combinations. We then moved onto the main event - Mamma Mia! Our teacher, who had been on the West End stage since she was twelve years old, taught us the Megamix Finale! It was an amazing dance, full of energy and excitement; we all sung along as loud as we could! It was so much fun and everyone loved it!"
Ellie
"The back stage tour of the National Theatre was a pleasure to experience. Firstly we viewed the site where all the props were produced and learned about the environmental ethos of the theatre and how over 80% of all products are reused in later productions. Then we had a tour of the Dorfman theatre which is been used for experimental shows. Hearing about the passion, creativity and vibrancy of of how this theatre is used sparked was fascinating.Then we had a tour of the costume room and a look at the Lyttelton Theatre where we saw backstage workers preparing the set for a show later that very day. Seeing behind the scenes and learning how the theatre operates was an invigorating experience. and witnessing how much work goes into to putting on a production was profoundly inspiring."
CHARLIE
