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For many teenagers, the performing arts are a glamorous dream. At Bedales, that dream is turned into practical, hands-on experience from day one. Our students aren’t just imagining life on stage, they are actively learning what it means to be theatre-makers.
This term, over an eight-week Bedales Assessed Course (BAC) Theatre Studies project, Block 5 (Year 11) students engaged in an intensive creative process, building theatre from the ground up and confronting the artistic and structural challenges that usually take years to master.
Creative decision making
Students were divided into four groups, each creating a section of a story about a mother confined in a 1930s asylum, manipulated into believing she had murdered her children.
‘We were split into random groups of five or six and began with a musical stimulus, The Final Chapter by Figure,’ begins Fiamma. ‘We made a freeze-frame of the music to find a starting point for the narrative. Our group thought it sounded like a winding doll’s music box…’
Alice, who led her group in plotting, took inspiration from the horror film Shutter Island. ‘We brainstormed movement and imagery, using flashbacks and an old projector to show her memories,’ she explains. ‘We experimented to build a creepy vibe, purposefully lacking rhythm, unsettling the audience, showing the mother’s descent into madness through sound and visuals.’
Head of Academic Drama, Georgie Nugent, tells us more…
‘In the first section, 'Fragmented' (with Alice, Queenie, Amelie, Fred and Leo) we saw the mother battling against the confines of the institution. In the second, 'Before the Storm', (with Jack, Savannah, Evelyn, Fleur, Wilf and Lulu), the audience were forced to wrangle with the idea that perhaps the father and the untrustworthy maid were to blame for the disappearance of the children.
‘The third section, 'The Dolls', belonged to Siddiqa, Evan, Paloma, Fred, Fiamma and Peyton. The audience delighted in a wonderfully visual and physical display of the Dolls, coming to life and shifting to evil perpetrators of violence and horror. In the final instalment, 'Exorcism', with Giselle, Genevieve, Six, Isis, Marlowe and Matilda, a priest arrived at the house, eager to cleanse the house and its occupants of evil spirits.
‘It was a story of suspense and intrigue, tension and horror. I hope to be forgiven for feeling quite jumpy as I walked back home in the dark - the shadows were very much alive that evening!’
The students didn’t just focus on story, they explored aesthetic choices and researched genre nuances. They also considered audience impact. ‘Projection was vital. In the Lupton Hall, articulation was key; this couldn’t be a whispery horror,’ explains Fiamma.
They also tackled complex concepts like character and time. For example, Alice’s group used multiple actors for the mother character, showing the passage of time and the evolution of her mind and surroundings, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of theatrical metaphor and non-linear narrative.
‘I feel like we’re getting to properly experiment with what we want to do,’ reflects Fiamma. ‘The BAC course covers so many acting styles and practitioners. We’re learning theory and genre application years ahead of many peers.’
Living the dream
Both Fiamma and Alice aspire to acting careers, planning to apply for Bedales Drama scholarships and aiming for institutions like the National Youth Theatre.
Alice highlights the school’s unique atmosphere: ‘We’re famously a creative school. Teachers and Old Bedalians tell us to seize every opportunity. There are so many plays, auditions, and workshops, it’s a really dynamic environment.’
Our dedicated students aren't just daydreaming about a life in the arts, they’re living the professional process now. The work is tangible, the challenges real, and the performances a genuine rehearsal for a lifetime on stage or screen.
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