News & Headteacher Blogs

In February, We had the pleasure of taking our Year 10 to 12 Drama and Music students to see Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. It was an inspiring evening and a valuable opportunity to see GCSE learning in action

For our GCSE Drama students, this was far more than entertainment. We focused on staging, proxemics and the use of levels, particularly during “Defying Gravity”. The decision to lift Elphaba above the stage is not simply spectacle. 

Students also observed how lighting, costume and ensemble movement communicate character and mood. These are the very elements they must analyse and evaluate in their written exams. Seeing them with such precision deepens understanding in a way the classroom alone can't.

We discussed the dramatic function of the famous song, “Defying Gravity”composed by Stephen Schwartz, and why it remains so powerful. It marks a turning point in character motivation and demonstrates how music, movement and technical design combine to tell a story. There is no substitute for experiencing live theatre at this level, and we are proud of how perceptively our students engaged with the performace.