Year 9 Drama Students Directed by Professional Director Rachel Betts

On Friday 15th February, 33 Year 9 GCSE Drama students attended a trip to the Arts Depot in Finchley. The students were involved in a ‘first look’ performance of a new play called ‘As If’ by professional director Rachel Betts. The students had the opportunity to experience a professional rehearsal process, at the end of the session they took part in a Q&A with the director and actors, followed by an afternoon workshop where they had a chance to perform scenes from the play.

This was an excellent opportunity for the girls to experience the earlier stages of a rehearsal process and watch a performance piece in its developmental stages. The director/writer was very keen to use their feedback of the performance to develop the work further. The students asked detailed and intriguing questions and got to listen to first-hand professional industry experiences and knowledge. The actors were keen to share some tips with the girls for example on how they could learn their lines. This linked extremely well with the GCSE Component 2 exam which the students are currently completing a mock exam for.

“I thought it was outstanding to see trained, professional actors create such an amazing piece.  It was inspiring to see that even if a mistake was made- they could continue to carry on and stay in role. I really enjoyed the workshop afterwards, getting the opportunity to try out parts of the script”.

Masie Y9

“I thought the performance at the Arts Depot was exceptionally well performed. I really enjoyed the whole experience.”

Olivia Y9