Since Term 5 started, we’ve been on countdown to May 11th as this was the date that marked an important turning point. The last two weeks have involved the completion of two of the external units necessary for our students to complete their Level 3 BTEC – Investigating Practitioners’ Work, and Group Performance Workshop. Unlike everything else we’ve done this year, which has all led to real, public performances, these two units are very much focused on the academic study of theatre – something we have embraced as it allows our students to develop their knowledge and understanding of the industry. The standard of work was pretty impressive. Investigating Practitioners’  Work saw students looking into theatre practitioners as diverse as Stephen Sondheim, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alecky Blythe, Frantic Assembly and Kneehigh, before writing up their findings. Group Performance Workshop was a little different – students worked together to create original performances based on a painting by Salvador Dali. In both cases, the work was set by the exam board, and will form part of the important externally assessed element of the course. Sometimes, given the fun we have, it’s difficult to remember that this is an academic course, equivalent to three full A Levels.

Alongside all of this, though, we have been carrying on with our normal activities, which have involved a workshop with director Kirstie Davies, two productions – The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk and Great Expectations, and two post-show Q&As, set up by the Everyman just for us. The Kneehigh production of The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, a beautiful play which told the story of painter Marc Chagall and his wife Bella, went straight to the top of the League of Productions. We were immensely privileged after this show to be able to take part in a Q&A not just with the entire cast (there were only four of them) but with acclaimed director Emma Rice, who had decided to pay a surprise visit to see the show, without telling the actors, and offered to host the Stagedoor session.

This week, things calm down a little, and we are starting off by spending two days with Theatre Temoin, with whom we worked in October.