Monday - Friday: 12:00-18:00
August (Closed)
By Phone:+357 22799500
By Email:institute@englishschool.ac.cy
News from our Drama Class
On Monday 2nd December the Drama GCSE exam class performed their Devised piece titled Safety in Numbers.
A girl, a lawyer, an architect, a mother and a construction worker. None of them saw it. At Holloway Road Station somewhere shortly, amidst the bustle of the crowd, 17-year-old Elijah Tade is murdered at plain sight. A determined young detective who takes up his case digs deep to track down the perpetrator of the crime, interrogating the five suspects who were there while it happened, only to uncover a deeper, darker truth about the society she lives in. Safety in Numbers quickly turns into a case about the rise of a culture of apathy in an increasingly numbed and detached world.
The style of this piece was inspired by the renowned Theatre Practitioner Bertolt Brecht.
Congratulations to all of the students who took part!
Angeliki Giorgalli-Girl ‘’I genuinely enjoyed everything about this piece, from the innumerable hours of hard work and the little squabbles to our giggles and the flashes of jubilation after coming up with great ideas. This process ushered me more deeply into the nature of theatre and helped me grow not only as an actress but as a more creative person as well.’’
Feidias Psaras-Lawyer ‘’The most important part of Devising for me was teamwork. Knowing how passionate our group is for this project, our biggest achievement throughout this whole process was being able to cooperate in a way that allowed us to combine everyone’s vision and create a piece that is altogether cohesive, genuine and substantial.’’
Andreas Marcou-Architect ‘’Devising was a rollercoaster of emotions. Both stress and joy have come to play when directing an original performance. It is this mixture that has shaped our dynamics as a group and morphed our creativity. Devising taught me that there is no formula for making theatre. All it takes is a stupid fight, an accidental sound, a sudden move. Anything really.’’
Alexia Demetriou-Mother ‘’The Drama GCSE Devising process was a complicated yet highly rewarding experience which has enabled me to develop a deeper understanding about the art of performing and directing a play. Through it, I realised what it is like to ‘devise’ a play and how a theatrical piece can be born exclusively through improvisation and a series of spontaneous yet crucial decisions.’’
Renos Zachariades-Construction Worker ‘’Devising has been such a unique experience. Having the chance to unleash all your creativity and passion as a team into this one piece of theatre is just a remarkable feeling. Scripted theatre is great but the satisfaction you get from knowing that what you have achieved has been, purely, a result of hard work, commitment and team-work make devising an unforgettable experience.’’
Olga Fougala Metaxa-Detective ‘’Honestly, at the beginning I didn’t think we could create a finished piece. But we did! We pulled together and created something I came to love. Through a lot of laughing, crying and frustrating hours, we grew as a group of people I call an odd sort of family and got to where we are tonight. I hope you enjoy this labour of love!’’
Special Thanks
- Fotis Lambrou-Lights
- Guzay Ozverir-Sound
- Maria Pericleous-Photos
- Yiannos Nearchou & Odysseas-Video
Drama Teacher
Athena Agroti
High Achiever at the Person Examination in May/June 2019
We are delighted to announce that Djan Gural Tanova has been awarded for outstanding performance in his Pearson external examinations in Summer 2019. Congratulations to Djan, his parents and Athena Louisa Marie Agroti his teacher who supported him along this road to success!
The Pearson awards ceremony will take place on 12th December in Nicosia.
Excellent GCSE results for our first Drama class
It is with great pride we announce and congratulate our pioneering Drama students for their excellent GCSE results.
Within the new and challenging 9-1 grading system, our students gained marks ranging 9-7 which is equivalent to an A*-A. Throughout the 2 year course, students had the chance to create and perform their piece in front of an audience, perform monologues in front of an external examiner, watch live theatrical productions and explore a play text through the eyes of a director, designer and a performer. Most importantly, their confidence evolved individually and collaboratively through their continuous creative input.
Congratulations to the following students:
Nikolas Antoniou
David Michalis Iacovides
Fotis Lambrou
Max Lodge
Nicholas Katsavras
- Students in year 4 can still sign up for Drama GCSE through the English School Institute.
- Senior Play auditions for 'The Comedy about Bank Robbery' (open to Forms 4-7) will take place in the school hall on Tuesday 25th September from 3:30-55:30 pm A synopsis of the play and a selection of audition scripts can be found in the music room.
- We are looking forward to a Junior Play in the Spring and a Creative and Performing Arts Trip in 2019.
Athena Agroti
Drama Teacher
Overview of the syllabus - Edexcel 9-1 from September 2016
Classes taught by Miss Athena Agrotis
*Wherever possible, theatre trips will take place throughout the year, as an experience of live theatre is a necessary part of the course. *
Year 1 students: *Classes will take place 3 hours a week separated into two one and a half hour sessions*Year 2 students: *Classes will take place 3 hours a week separated into two one and a half hour sessions*
*If you have any questions regarding the Course please either contact The English Institute or e-mail Athena.Agroti@englishschool.ac.cy*
GCSE Drama
“Drama is life with the dull bits cut out” Alfred Hitchcock
Some people think that the only worthwhile reason to be studying GCSE Drama is to become an actor or director. Practical subjects like Drama allow you to develop hugely valuable skills which you will continue to use throughout your life, in and out of work. Here is a run-through the skills you will develop and perfect throughout your Drama studies.
- No subject teaches you how to work well in a team quite like Drama. In Drama, you are nearly always working with a group of people of varying sizes. You will work with lazy people, disorganised people, bossy people and you may well be one of these characters yourself. the drama will allow you to develop your patience, ability to compromise and communication skills.
- You will learn discipline. This skill makes you more aware of your body language and more able to adapt your behaviour to various situations. It’s not so much about acting as being aware of your body language and how to adapt to distracting, uncomfortable or sensitive situations.
- In Drama, you will be asked to improvise on several occasions. This allows you to think on your feet, develop your initiative and will encourage you to be more proactive. It may not feel like it at the time but this will hold you in good stead when it comes to taking initiative and adapting in your personal life and the workplace.
- Drama stimulates you to be constantly creative. Of course, nothing can reach creativity but it is a muscle that needs regular exercise and stretching. the drama will force you to regularly come up with exciting, functional and convincing ideas, to a deadline and this ability will stay with you.
- Empathy is a really important life skill. When you act in Drama you put yourself into another person’s shoes and try to identify with them and their situation. This will rest your empathy, especially when portraying a character who is experiencing things you cannot personally relate to. This is an invaluable skill that will open your mind and improve the way you interact with people.
- Analysing Drama productions allows you to develop your critical thinking skills. This is useful for several jobs and is great if you are planning on taking English Literature, Media Studies or Film Studies at degree level. Also, it allows you to think more critically about the film, television and theatre that we all consume daily
- You will gain in confidence. This is a really important one because Drama gallows you to push yourself to perform. You will be able to grow in confidence, develop your performance skills and overcome the fear of making mistakes in a fun, creative and supportive environment.
