This week, we took our Lower Sixth A-Level Drama and Theatre students to see the fantastic ‘People Places and Things’, written by Duncan Macmillan. The play charts the experience of an actress, struggling with addiction issues, family events and her own sense of self.

We really enjoyed the creative staging of the production and were thoroughly impressed by the lead actress, Denise Gough, who presented the changing states of withdrawal and emotional turmoil superbly. We were very much struck with how funny the writing and performances were in the context of a traumatic rehab setting and we felt that the writer made an excellent social commentary on support for mental health, whilst showing compassion and understanding for both the patients and the medical staff. We also loved discussing the wide array of relevant themes such as self-love, family, spirituality and the creative world.

We would like to say a big thank you to Miss Robinson for organising this trip for us and to Miss Dawson also for supporting us on the night. Students are very much looking forward to analysing the play and their audience response further for the live theatre evaluation section of their examination.

Miss Smyth, Head of Drama