In The Press
Medieval Theatrics at School
From The Bath Chronicle Thu 18 Jun, 2009
Students at a Bath school have revived a medieval drama tradition - in front of a panel of celebrity judges. A Commedia dell 'Arte production was held at the Royal High School, which included eight short plays written, directed and performed by pupils. Veteran actor and comedian Bill Wallis, who worked alongside Peter Cook, and former Casualty actress Lisa Coleman, who is well-known for her role in the television series Tracy Beaker, watched the performances and handed out prizes. Head of Drama, Ben Pender oversaw the year-long project, which has involved more than 90 pupils. He said: "Commedia dell 'Arte is the forerunner of pantomime, dating back to Italy in the 16th Century. "Theatre companies would tour the towns and villages performing a variety of plots that always featured the same stock characters. "The students' brief was to create their own pieces using the characters and typical narrative of the genre." Prizes were awarded for several categories, including best production, script, direction, music and costume. Mr Pender added: "The plays have been the outcome of months of hard work, both in rehearsals and off stage. The students have shown remarkable creative energy and came up with some really entertaining pieces."
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