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St Edward’s:
150 Years
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was appointed as a Theatre Manager. Clive Stevenson was also
appointed as the North Wall’s first Technical Manager.
The St Edward’s Drama Department moved into the
building in 2006 and in the autumn of that year I directed the
pupils of the School in the theatre’s inaugural production –
Shakespeare’s
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
. The following
summer, the building opened to the public with a summer
festival of world-class theatre, music and film – curated and
programmed by Emily Mann, Jane Carter and Holly Kendrick
under the leadership of George Fenton. That summer also saw
the inaugural residential outreach project directed by writer
and RADA Principal Edward Kemp and myself.
The versatility and beauty of the theatre continue to
serve as inspiration to the pupils of the School and School
productions are of a high standard, with an ambitious choice
of texts including Shakespeare’s
Henry V
, Sondheim’s
Into The
Woods
and Pinter’s
The Birthday Party
, as well as challenging
new work from emerging writers. The two studios are in
constant use during the day as teaching spaces for the Drama
Department and in the evening as rehearsal and class spaces
for Dance and Drama. Recent St Edward’s alumni include
Pippa Bennett-Warner (who recently appeared with Derek
Jacobi in
King Lear
), Sebastian de Souza (Channel 4’s
Skins
and
HBO’s
The Borgias
), Mark Quartley (RSC) and Emelia Clarke
(HBO’s
Game of Thrones
and Holly Golightly in
Breakfast at
Tiffany’s
on Broadway).
Residential Outreach projects run during the School holidays
and have focused on all the disciplines involved in theatre
and dance: design, choreography, composition, performance.
A sizeable number of alumni have gone on to train at top
British Drama schools and training programmes. We are also
delighted to be able now to offer paid employment to some of
those graduates – recruiting technicians, composers, costume
and set designers, dancers and actors from what is becoming
a growing association of young artists. In 2012 the North Wall
produced its first professional production,
Dead On Her Feet
by
Ron Hutchinson, which went on to Arcola in London. The cast
were all young actors at the beginning of their careers and the
designer, Alex Berry, was a recent outreach participant.
As the North Wall’s first Artistic Director, I am immensely
grateful and proud of all that the School has done to make
such an extraordinary vision possible. It is a privilege to work
in this building and to see the ideas that helped shape it
become reality. It is, in the words of Shakespeare, ‘a most rare
vision’, and proves that this School is ground breaking in its
approach to education, the arts and the arts in education.
Lucy Maycock
Artistic Director, North Wall
North Wall
The idea of converting the School’s disused Victorian
swimming pool into a theatre was a bold and inspired one. Led
by Warden David Christie and Governor George Fenton the
plan grew into a vision of a public arts centre that could both
be the home of School Drama and Dance, provide a gallery
space for the Art Department and also be a public space. The
School would open the door to South Parade and at the same
time as providing the public with a varied and challenging
programme of theatre, dance, music and art, it would give the
pupils of St Edward’s access to first-class working artists and
performers. The building’s aim was to nurture new talent, to
inspire young people to participate in the arts, and to break
down barriers to making a career in the arts industry.
The Governors approved the plan and the London
architects Haworth Tomkins were commissioned to design an
arts centre that would blend a Victorian listed building with
modern architecture, and provide a 250-seat theatre, drama
and dance studios, and an art gallery. Director of Cultural
Activities Anthony Kerr-Dineen led an advisory group as well
as forming SES Arts – a supporters’ organisation that raised
awareness of the project and initiated fundraising activities –
and Nick Quartley, a former Classics Teacher at the School,
LAURENCE OLIVIER
Lord Olivier was at St Edward’s from 1921 to 1924 and took
part in Cowell’s
The Merchant of
Venice in his first term. He did
not take part in the 1922 production of
Much Ado About Nothing.
The 1923 production of
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
was the
one in which Olivier starred as Puck (this was also the first play
to be staged in the new North Wall theatre in 2006). The 1923
production was experimental in many ways, and clearly Cowell
and Olivier’s performance ensured it would be memorable.
The play was performed in the Dining Hall and the cast was
encouraged to leave the stageand join theaudienceat times viaa
passagewaythroughthem;thedoorwasleftopenforentrancesand
exits (doubtless to thediscomfort of theaudience).Thepassageway
allowedOliviertodancedownitmemorably.Olivierwroteinhisdiary
of his performance that‘probably everyonehated it’. Aparentwrote
(recordedbyR.D.Hill),‘AwordmustbesaidaboutOlivier’srendering
of Puck. It was so distinctly original that it set the audience thinking.
Probablymore thanonewent away saying“Thatwas notmy idea of
Puck.”But was it not Shakespeare’s idea? That is a very tenable view.’
Oliviermade his final visit to the School in July 1981whenhe filmed
scenes in the Quad for
A Voyage Round My Father
by John Mortimer.
Chris Nathan, Archivist
Top:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
cast, including Laurence Olivier,
third from right in the middle row, 1923.
Above:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
, 2006, directed by L. Maycock.
Sebastian de Souza surrounded by fairies.
Left:
Into The Woods
, 2012, whole cast.
Below left: Katrina Eden teaching.
Below middle:
Romeo and Juliet
, 2013, Benvolio
played by Theo Smith.
Below right: AS Drama Exam –
Hymns
by Chris
O’Connell performed by David Stone, Charlie Christie,
Marcus Chew and George Symington, Spring 2011.
Chapter 5 / Doorways and Gateways