It was lovely to see everyone back after the Easter break. Term 5 is going to be very busy for a few weeks, and then we’ll be able to relax a little and enjoy the rest of the summer term.

Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that we’re doing a course equivalent to 3 A Levels, but not this term! The gang have two major assessments coming up, one practical, and one written, and so things this week have been pretty serious. We’re currently working on the Investigating Practitioners’ Work unit, for which students have to choose two internationally renowned theatre practitioners and analyse how their work might fit in with a theme provided by the exam board. The theme for this exam season is “Bridging the Gap” and students are looking at practitioners as diverse as Peter Brook, Arthur Miller, Frantic Assembly, Stephen Sondheim and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Once the research has been done, students will write a 2000 word essay under timed conditions, which will then be submitted to the exam board for assessment. Anyone who thinks that Performing Arts isn’t academic needs to pop round and visit during a Unit 1 preparation session! As well as that, we’re working towards Unit 3, which is Group Performance Workshop. For this project, student are developing original performances based on Salvador Dali’s painting “The Persistence of Memory”. This is another project set by the exam board – every student taking Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma will be working with the same stimulus. The work produced by the Stagedoor groups is shaping up very well – it’s clever, original and interesting, and is allowing them to show off their creativity and performance skills. Alongside this, students have to write 4 800 word essays analysing their response to the stimulus and their practical work as it develops.

Phew! And alongside that, we’re continuing with weekly singing workshops with our fabulous vocal coach Ria Keen, who is working with the group to put together a programme of songs inspired by the works of William Shakespeare, for our summer showcase, which will be in the Everyman studio on Monday 2nd July.

This week we’ve also been putting the finishing touches on our programme for the Everyman Theatre Association AGM. We were invited to perform for the ETA at Christmas, and have been asked back to perform at their AGM, which includes a lunch on the main stage of the theatre. The event was supposed to happen in March, but was snowed off. It will be lovely performing on the main stage in the beautiful Everyman – we’re performing a medley of songs from Les Miserables, a medley from The Greatest Showman, and finishing up with Seasons of Love from Rent.

And of course, with this being Stagedoor, students have also been to see a show this week – in fact, some have seen two! On Thursday afternoon, the whole group saw, and loved, The Winslow Boy – Terrence Rattigan’s classic drama about a family fighting to clear their son’s name, set against the strict values of Edwardian London. On Thursday evening, several of the group also saw Watching Out, three short plays with a shared theme, directed by the Everyman’s Creative Director Paul Milton. It was a most enjoyable evening.

Having crammed so much in, it’s hard to believe that we’ve only been back for a week. Next week will be just as packed, with highlights including the English Touring Opera’s production of The Marriage of Figaro, and a singing working with members of the company.