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Theatre At Gaynes School
BackGaynes School has provided students with a wide range of opportunities to see and participate in a range of live theatre performances in the last year.
In the summer term, students in years 9. 10 and 11 went to the Bridge Theatre to see the immersive production of the musical GUYS AND DOLLS. This exciting new production was performed as a “promenade” piece with the actors and audience sharing the same space, moving around from location to location.
In September, students in years 7, 8 and 9 went to the Cambridge Theatre in London to see the musical MATILDA, based on the children’s novel by Roald Dahl. This was part of a larger whole school project, with the drama and music departments presenting their own production of MATILDA JUNIOR in February. Our school musical played two sold out performances and received excellent feedback from parents, families and teachers.
Year 10 and 11 GCSE Drama students went to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London to watch the absurdist tragicomedy WAITING FOR GODOT starring Lucian Msmati and Ben Wilshaw.
Year seven students celebrated Christmas by watching a pantomime performed by a visiting theatre company. The Globe Players have also visited Gaynes to perform their adaptations of Shakespeare’s MACBETH and JB Priestley’s 1945 play AN INSPECTOR CALLS to students in years 9.10 and 11. Both plays are part of the GCSE English Literature curriculum.
In May 2025, students on GCSE PE and GCSE Drama courses will be visiting the Royal National Theatre in London to watch the Olivier Award winning play DEAR ENGLAND, a fictionalised account of Gareth Southgate’s management of the England football team at the last World Cup.
Gaynes School is also a member of the Royal National Theatre’s online theatre resource, which allows us to show video recordings of live theatre performances in lessons. Students have watched productions of Shakespeare’s MACBETH, Carol Ann Churchill’s 2015 adaptation of a medieval morality play EVERYMAN, the Greek tragedy ANTIGONE starring Chirstopher Eccleston and Jodie Whittaker, BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES, Phillip Pullman’s BOOK OF DUST and the children’s play PETER PAN.
