Think of some of the most high profile Old Shirburnians and you’ll notice that a number of actors feature. We are proud to number Sir Richard Eyre, Jeremy Irons and Hugh Bonneville among our alumni – helping inspire every boy to develop his theatrical talents.
We encourage involvement in Drama throughout the School, and many boys love the chance to tread the boards or work backstage. As well as School-wide productions, when we work with Sherborne Girls, each House puts on a play every other year. These vary in size, style and genre but all boys in house get the chance to participate, whether on stage or as part of the technical crew.
We believe it is perfectly realistic for talented boys to pursue a career in the theatre and do all we can to equip them with relevant skills. We also draw on our networks to give them professional experience - building their confidence and shaping their ambitions.
For those who desire it, we provide tuition for LAMDA Speech and Drama Awards. We also work regularly with professional directors, actors and producers, creating a real-world environment in which boys refine their craft.
Drama is also an important part of the curriculum and is a subject where boys achieve very highly in terms of the practical and the academic results. Sherborne boys have achieved some of the highest results in the country at both GCSE and at A level, and in both their written and practical work. Although Drama has only been introduced to the school as a subject relatively recently, former pupils have already gone on to study Drama at top universities and Drama Schools: we await their future successes with anticipation.
Boys have also participated in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in recent years, both with school productions and their own shows, receiving fantastic plaudits in what is a very tough arena for future theatre makers. There is also a Scholars’ Programme where those boys with awards are developed and coached to the very highest level so that they might lead boys within the school and indeed, outside it, through the high level of their achievement and skill in this discipline.
Drama is a source of much pride at Sherborne, and boys’ achievements in this sphere are celebrated throughout the School community.
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Flickr album: Abbey House Play | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin
Flickr album: Joint Schools' Musical 2022 | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin
Flickr album: Junior Play - Frankenstein | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin
