Blown Away

Last night I saw a piece of theatre that completely blew me away. We are lucky in our position here at Bradon Forest that we are able to book some of the top touring theatre in the country, and that our students have regular access to performances from company's such as Gonzo Moose, Pickled Image, Big State, Publick Transport and Shifting Sands. We urge them to come and see as many shows as possible... how else can young people acquire the experience and inspiration for creating their own theatre?

Last night was a perfect example of how a group can benefit from taking advantage of these opportunities. We had a GCSE cast of eight students who have been coming to see shows here over the last five years, some of whom haven't missed a performance from either fellow students or the professionals. They wanted to devise something for their exam that would honour the influences from the likes of the Gonzo's, whilst encompassing their own ideas and interpretations of physical theatre.

They wanted to devise a piece of drama, around an hour in length, using a story idea that they had imagined, researched and scripted, based on the theme of Faustus... pretty ambitious for a group of 14 and 15 year olds, huh? Well, some said it would never happen, that it was too much to expect, that it would never go on, but I am pleased to say that the cast succeeded with gusto! Faust was an intelligent, thought provoking, exciting, scintillating, comical tale of morality that exhibited true creative flair and talent from the students, whilst demonstrating a mature and dedicated approach to the art of performance.

David Calder referred to the piece as the "best piece of youth theatre I've seen in 32 years", and gave a standing ovation. That's no small achievement for the cast! Faust was more than good enough to go on tour or be performed at the Fringe alongside professional companies, but the audience last night were treated to an intimate and engaging show. All of the students performed superbly and should be truly proud of themselves.

As we left, Dominic said: "The thing is, they don't even know how good that was!"

Faust will be performed again on Wednesday 28th April in front of the external examiner.