21st January 2023
Writing: Robin Lawrence (Year 13)
Without a doubt the year past marked a true return to form for the school’s Drama Department after the disruption of the pandemic. The Senior Play, All My Sons, performed 1-3 December 2022, may have used only a small ensemble cast, but it was a refreshing change, allowing actors involved the opportunity to try out for bigger roles.
The story of Arthur Miller's play follows a southern family living in post-war America. The father - Joe Keller - is faced with a tough situation when his youngest son wishes to marry the woman his late son was in love with and, with his wife still mourning, secrets surrounding the past are slowly revealed over the course of the play.
The cast consisted of Aniya Shah, Robin Lawrence, Kitty Tadman, Louis Nardone, Cooper Edwards, Billy Grief-King, Felix Flower, Vaishnavi Garlapalli, Carys Butler, with tech assistance from Ryan McCluskey and was directed by Old Challoner, Ethan Smith.
The performance went a long way in proving that the Drama Department offers an impressive array of resources regarding props, lighting, sound and rehearsal space, especially for intimate dramatic endeavours such as All My Sons.
We managed to create a professional piece of serious theatre and it is a memory I will look back on fondly for many years to come. This production was a privilege to be a part of, as it is both the first starring role I have ever had in a play, and the last theatre project I will ever work on at Dr Challoner’s. A special thanks is due to Mr Flower who brought a number of the different elements together behind the scenes and Ethan Smith who worked tirelessly in the director’s chair to craft his vision and bring our performances to life.