ISA Drama Festival 2015

Congratulations to everyone who took part in the ISA Drama Festival this term. Mrs Riddell has the latest news:
“Despite a very early start, eighteen Cundall drama students arrived at School, brimming with enthusiasm, on Sunday 8^th March. Initial difficulties with fitting the scenery on the bus were solved by sheer determination and brute force (if you’ve ever tried to fit three children, the dog, the cases and the duvets into a car for a trip, you’ll know what I mean!) This was Cundall’s first attempt to compete in the ISA Drama Festival, a well-established Drama event with a national profile. ISA schools across the country compete against each other for a variety of awards. Cundall Manor took two short productions: an adaptation of the well-known play, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Gandhi in the Shed – a comedy based around a family trying to put their unfortunate grandparent into a care home. We had a couple of hours to compose ourselves, dress and put on make-up and then we were on. Schools are given five minutes to set up in an unknown theatre space, in front of an unknown adjudicator and an unknown audience…terrifying! Our senior group performed first, with flawless characterisation and comic timing; the juniors second, using the unfamiliar space with such confidence, you’d think they were a professional touring repertory company! Our performances were well received by the audience and the adjudicator gave us some very useful, constructive criticism, complimenting the students’ ability to characterise and create believable roles. I was extremely pleased with everyone’s performance and I felt very optimistic for the outcome, to be announced after the completion of the southern heats in a couple of weeks’ time.
When the results did come through, I was delighted. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory won the Oxford Cup for best junior school production and Francesca Banks added to her long list of performing achievements, winning the Audrey Vowles Shield for best junior girl performer. This is a wonderful result and testament to the talent and dedication of those involved. The pupils had quite a task, competing against some very experienced and specialist drama schools (especially in the senior categories) I would like to thank every student who took part and a really big thank you to Annabel Hartley, Zaila Barker and Pippa Adamthwaite-Cook, who stood in at the last minute.”