King Edward's School Home Old Edwardians Website

Drama weekend 2012

Click here to view the photos from the weekend.

The new Ruddock Performing Arts Centre opened in April 2012. As part of the Opening Festival on 29 and 30 June 2012, we held a special drama weekend for Old Edwardians of both KES and KEHS.

On the Friday night, all of the actors and production team were introduced to each other under the capable direction of Mrs Herbert, Miss Proops and Matt Bartlett. We were then left to 'get on with it'! Given the script of A Midsummer Night's Dream, jobs were divided between the cast and crew and the ideas started to roll. When time was called on proceedings for the evening, a few moved onto the Gun Barrels to discuss things further!

The Saturday was a busy day for all with the clock ticking towards the performance time. The set was assembled, the lighting designed, the costumes picked and the actors, well, mostly didn't learn their lines. Before the performance of the 'Play in a Day', the audience arrived and were greeted by a drinks reception. Both participants and audience moved into the auditorium where a moving video made by the Weaver brothers depicted the drama departments memories of their time at the schools. All then gathered together for the hog roast, archive exhibition of previous drama productions, and more drinks before the play began.

The version of A Midsummer Night's Dream that the Old Edwardians put on was not one that you would recognise from the stage of the RSC! A few characters improvised Shakespeare in cockney, effectively making the story up, the fairies were fluorescent 90's ravers, and the mechanicals were brilliantly bad. Both audience and participants thoroughly enjoyed the performance and there were many comedy highlights. Much drinking and revelling ensued to finish off what had been a fantastic weekend.

Below are the Old Eds that took part in the drama weekend:

First Name Surname Type Year
John Jennings KES 1955
Angela Owen Old Girl (KEHS) 1958
Andy Summers KES 1971
Christopher Woodall KES 1976
Kenneth Macnab KES 1983
Gillian Machin Old Girl (KEHS) 1990
Andrew Crocker KES 1991
Gabrielle Shegog Old Girl (KEHS) 1996
Laura Colgan Old Girl (KEHS) 1997
Flora Lee Old Girl (KEHS) 1997
Danielle Spittle Old Girl (KEHS) 1997
Helen Maskell Old Girl (KEHS) 1998
Amy Matthews Old Girl (KEHS) 1999/2000
John Ault KES 2000
Simon Meredith KES 2000
Matthew Reeve KES 2000
Rebecca Schiller Old Girl (KEHS) 2000
Chris Maskell KES 2002
Baber Zaka KES 2002
Christina Timmons Old Girl (KEHS) 2004
Andrew Caddy KES 2005
Thomas Cadigan KES 2005
Hannah Freeman Old Girl (KEHS) 2005
Mel Phillips Old Girl (KEHS) 2005
Emily Bridges Old Girl (KEHS) 2006
Laura Huang Old Girl (KEHS) 2006
Jack Ramplin KES 2007
Tim Kiely KES 2009
Oliver Clarke KES 2011
Thomas Edwards KES 2011
Kit Fowler KES 2011
Hin Chun Lam KES 2011
James Lloyd KES 2011
Daniel Mort KES 2011
Alexander Wakelam KES 2011
Olivia O'Neill Old Girl (KEHS) 2011
Hannah Proops Staff Assistant Director of Drama
Matthew Bartlett Staff Current Staff
Jenny Herbert Staff Director of Drama