From budding actors who later achieve greatness at the National Youth Theatre or the silver screen, to individuals who have gained confidence through LAMDA and excelled in interviews, Ardingly College students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of Drama.
A Role for Everyone
At Ardingly, Drama is not just about stepping into the spotlight; we believe that being behind the scenes is equally significant. We go beyond the front of the stage, nurturing skills in set directing, design, marketing, finance, costume, and makeup.
For students interested in the technical aspects of theatre, in Lower School we run a dedicated 'backstage' club, providing a platform for learning and exploration. With investments in sophisticated equipment, we facilitate opportunities for students keen on sound and light to collaborate with our qualified technicians. Our inclusive approach ensures that there is something for everyone, enhancing employability skills and fostering a well-rounded understanding of the dramatic arts.
Drama Co-curricular & Productions
During their Enrichment Programme all students are afforded the exciting opportunity to actively engage in various productions either on stage or backstage.
We have an annual Upper School Production, which alternates between captivating plays and mesmerising musicals. Past productions have featured renowned shows such as “Tartuffe”, “Dracula”, "9 to 5," "Little Shop of Horrors," "Chicago," "Twelfth Night," and "Romeo and Juliet," showcasing the diverse and enriching theatrical experiences we provide.
Revealing younger talent our Lower and Middle School students also have the opportunity to perform in musical or theatre and previous performances have included classics like “Animal Farm”, "Matilda," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," a delightful outdoor rendition of "Pride and Prejudice," and the spellbinding "The Addams Family."
In addition, there is a House Drama competition which offers more opportunities and encourages more students to get involved in theatre.
Ardingly College takes pride in its history of groundbreaking productions, including the first-ever amateur staging of "The Wipers Times" by Old Ardinians Nick Newman and Ian Hislop. Additionally, our students showcased "The Uninvited Guests," a devised piece that enjoyed a successful week-long run at the Edinburgh Festival and they aspire to return again in the near future.
Enrichment
During the course of a year numerous trips go to the West End and other venues so that students can immerse themselves with performance. We also offer residential trips; an exciting highlight was the 2023 trip to New York, where students immersed themselves in a range of workshops, performances, and the vibrant culture of the city. For those with a passion for theatre appreciation, our Lower School Theatre Appreciation Club provides a platform for exploring and celebrating the world of drama.
LAMDA
The College has a team of LAMDA teachers who offer tuition in extra-curricular speech and Drama. We prepare our pupils for external examinations in many different skills, from acting and devised Drama, to verse and prose, Shakespeare, and speaking in public. These extra-curricular lessons are beneficial, not only to budding actors, who clearly love Drama and want to develop the skills necessary to communicate dramatic text to an audience, but also, crucially, for those pupils who may not want to be on the stage and perhaps need to improve their communication skills for other reasons. They may find it difficult to talk to adults or need practice in preparing for interviews and speaking in public. These are all skills that are becoming more and more important in everyday life.
The team of teachers at the College all have experience in professional theatre, film, television and radio, and are able to teach both the LAMDA and Trinity syllabuses. The results for the students are consistently high. Lessons are open to all students and offer the choice of 1:1 tuition, shared lessons or classes in small groups. Examinations also carry UCAS points from Level 3 upwards: a Distinction at Grade 8 Gold Medal has a tariff of 30 UCAS points. We actively support children through auditions into theatrical agencies, with Prep School performers gracing the West End, films, and television.
Academic Drama
All students in Shell have one lesson of Drama per week where they cover a range of topics, including the analysis of text, devising, and live theatre. The College also offers GCSE, A Level and IB Drama. These are growing in popularity, with GCSE Drama being one of the most widely subscribed optional subjects, and those cohorts achieve impressive results. These courses are a mixture of practical work, theoretical study, and trips and workshops to explore the world of theatre beyond the college walls.
ISTA
We are proud member of the International Schools Theatre Association.
ISTA believes that the future of our world depends on confident, internationally minded, collaborative and culturally literate young people who are empowered to engage with and change the world responsibly.
We believe that this is achieved through the ISTA experience.
Educators play a key role in the fulfilment of ISTA’s mission. Our staff have attended training with educators worldwide developing themselves, their pedagogy and their skills, equipping and empowering them to bring about this change through theatre. ISTA brings together young people, artists and teachers from different countries in different settings to experience, create and learn about theatre.
We hope to offer students a chance to attend festivals workshops with students from across the globe.
We value connection, collaboration, creativity, community.
