An Evening of Structured Improvisation
Senior School, Performing Arts
Our Year 7 Drama Club students wowed the audience with their fearlessness, creativity and energy last night as they treated Year 5 and 6 parents and pupils to an evening of structured improvisation. The pupils devised the performance over a rehearsal period of three weeks and the final show featured both rehearsed scenes and improvised games, inspired by their time at Senior School so far.
Miss Kenny, RHSB Drama teacher, congratulated the girls: “I have been so impressed at the level of maturity and professionalism with which the girls have approached the task. They've been brilliant to work with. I'm sure the audience will agree that the quality of work they've devised in these short three weeks is pretty incredible. Bravo!"
Since September, our Year 7 Drama Club has been meeting each week to explore improvisation and develop an understanding of how to collaborate and accept one another's ideas in performance. During this time, we can see how the girls have grown in confidence and started developing skills in performance which link to the Drama Toolkit that they have been exploring in their curriculum lessons.
The Year 7 Drama club is an integral introduction to Drama at RHSB and is very popular with our students. Improvisation in particular is a great starting point; it is hugely enjoyable and there is always lots of joyful laughter and happy chatter during our Club meetings and rehearsals.
Improvisation also helps develop life skills that are particularly beneficial for our Year 7s in their transition from Prep to Senior School. Communication and interaction between all participants and collaboration are essential, so it creates many opportunities for them to interact, practice social skills and develop friendships in a safe, supportive setting.
The girls also learn to speak up in front of a group and to think creatively and quickly on their feet. Perhaps best of all, it helps them to learn that not everything has to be planned; in improv you have to be spontaneous. The best thing is when the girls learn to be flexible and to adapt quickly to a new idea and the changes happening around them. It is fantastic to see them grow in confidence, relish taking on the challenge of improv and embrace our School’s ‘fearlessness for life’ ethos!
