This year’s annual school play was a double bill of classic 1960s’ comedy with scintillating productions of The Erpingham Camp by Joe Orton and The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard, directed by Paul Elliott, Head of Drama.
The Erpingham Camp, which was first seen on television in 1966, is a witty, satirical take on the goings-on of a fictional holiday camp ruled over by an autocrat who falls prey to the machinations of two ambitious and ruthless members of staff. The well-paced performance brought out the very best in the ensemble, and the stylised 1960s dance routines showcased skills hitherto unnoticed in some of our more artistic students!
The 1968 comedy, The Real Inspector Hound, gave the second cast an opportunity to present absurdist drama at its finest. The challenge for the audience is to unravel reality and fantasy as two theatre critics comment on and are ultimately caught up in and destroyed by a stereotypical murder mystery. Tom Stoppard’s witty and wordy script was delivered with great assurance by an experienced cast of mainly Upper Sixth Formers.
Many thanks to Paul Elliott, the Production team and the all-student cast, who worked tirelessly to entertain their audience not one but twice (and over two nights!).
