As Kingsley marks its 140th year, Ms Morgan (Deputy Head of Wellbeing and Pastoral) launched an exciting competition, inviting form groups to recreate historical play photos from the school archives. Students had fun looking through the old images, which date all the way back to some of the earliest productions in the late 1800s, and organising their own costumes. While many forms opted for a light-hearted approach, others took the competition more seriously, studying the original photographs carefully and paying close attention to every detail. Form 7ES deserve a special mention for their stunning costumes and very convincing facial expressions. Faced with tough competition, Mr Lax came up with the ingenious idea of Photoshopping his form (dressed as the 1901 cast of ‘The Merchant of Venice’) onto the original background. Ms Morgan and Dr Howling now face the difficult task of selecting the winners. We eagerly await the results!
The competition has sparked feelings of nostalgia among both students and staff, inspiring them to reflect on Kingsley’s long-standing tradition of drama. Over the decades, the school has staged a remarkable variety of performances, ranging from classical plays and musicals to Greek theatre and light opera. The drama department has hosted house competitions and festivals, while Prep students have put on countless nativity plays – each one as endearing as the last. Alumni have also returned to perform for the school community, continuing the legacy of dramatic excellence.
The earliest play review in the school archives dates back to 1890, when students performed ‘Antigone’. The production was hailed as “one of the most successful and enjoyable entertainments ever given by the school,” implying that theatre had already been a significant part of school life by then. In 1897, students of all ages performed ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, while an impressive production of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ followed in 1901. The school magazine reports that Headmistress Miss Huckwell (1886–1909) “spared no trouble or expense to make the play delightful, both for performers and audience,” a testimony to the high standards of the time, evidenced by the incredible costumes in the surviving photographs.
In 1924, the talented Lilian Edith Thomas began teaching English at the school and writing original scripts. In addition to her role as Housemistress at The Cedars, one of Kingsley’s boarding houses, she wrote and directed numerous plays. Her repertoire included the nativity play ‘The Straight Road to Bethlehem’, the Jubilee production of ‘Canterbury Tales’, the Kenilworth Pageant of 1939, and ‘Dark Noel’ – a wartime play that was later published for wider audiences. In 1994, the school revived ‘The Canterbury Tales’, this time performing at the Loft Theatre instead of in the back garden, marking a significant evolution in the scale of Kingsley’s productions.
Classic novels have been performed: a 1960 version of ‘Emma’, ‘Jane Eyre’ in 1990, and in 2017, ‘The Garden’ (based on the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic). Some works have enjoyed multiple revivals over the years, such as ‘Bugsy Malone’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’. Senior School students have embraced the challenge of performing timeless musicals like ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ and ‘Oliver’, as well as more contemporary productions such as ‘Into The Woods’ and popular West End hits including ‘Grease’, ‘Hairspray’ and ‘Shrek’. Meanwhile, Prep pupils have taken on ambitious productions such as ‘Hoodwinked’, ‘Twelfth Night’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ‘Aladdin’.
The rich history of drama at Kingsley continues to inspire future generations, and as we look to the future, one thing is certain: the show will go on!
