Theatre Visits and Trips
"Theatre has the power to steal up and jolt the muscle back into action. Sitting in a theatre among others who have been stirred up gives us hope and courage. We disperse in the street, but we are left with a hint of our collective power. Indifference allows atrocities to happen. It is vital we dare to care".
Harriet Walter, actor and writer
Frequent, exciting trips - an essential part of studying Drama
It is an essential and exciting part of studying Drama that pupils visit the theatre. As such, we seek out a variety of opportunities for pupils to witness some of the most powerful, engaging and imaginative theatre in the land. A Level pupils will visit the theatre at least three times every term. GCSE pupils will visit the theatre at least once a term. We have some very exciting trips planned for performances taking place in the Autumn Term 2011 including ‘Animals and Children Took to the Streets' and ‘The Wild Bride' both at Bristol Old Vic. We will also be visiting Plymouth Theatre Royal to see ‘Earthquakes in London' and the highly acclaimed ‘Slava's Snowshow'.
A wide range of local and national theatres
The department frequently organises visits to the Bristol Old Vic, Bath Theatre Royal, National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford and West End Theatres. Millfield is geographically well placed to visit theatres all over the country. In addition to this we also bring touring theatre companies into the school.
Fantastic opportunities including Broadway and the Edinburgh Festival
The department also arrange trips overseas including a visit to Broadway, New York. Other ‘Big Trips’ have included a week at the Edinburgh Festival and a week at the National Student Drama Festival in Scarborough. In Autumn 08 there was a highly successful department trip to New York to see the sights and sounds of Broadway. We are heading back across the ‘pond' this autumn, for a second bite of the ‘Big Apple'. We attended three shows and took part in two workshops with actors and directors from the Broadway circuit.
Other ‘Big Trips' have included a week at the Edinburgh Festival and a week at the National Student Drama Festival in Scarborough. This summer four of our A2 pupils are taking the ‘Little Sparrow' show to the Edinburgh Festival, something of a ‘rite of passage' for any aspiring thespian. The benefits of being involved in such an event are myriad; moreover it's a chance to see how hard it is to be successful in the world of the arts and an opportunity to see the finest theatre in the world being shaped before your very eyes. Jamie, James, Mike and Bethan are wonderful people; creative, generous, erudite and passionate and would welcome any support that you may be able to offer on this adventure.
"Drama at Millfield has encouraged my imagination, creativity and passion for performance. The analysis, rehearsal, preparation and performance skills that I learnt, through practical engagement with texts, school trips to productions in London, Bristol, Stratford, Bath, Plymouth and more, and classroom based study of play texts and practitioners, are vital skills that I draw upon in my studies now".
Charlotte, former Millfield Drama pupil
