Year 10 drama students from Roding Valley High Schoolhave secured a place in the final of the Rudolph Walker Foundation’s inter-School Drama Awards. The students, who battled it out against school teams from across the country, will perform an original piece in competition against six other schools, at the Shaw Theatre in London, on Sunday 30 June.
The judging panel, made up of industry professionals, will award marks for criteria including script writing, originality and timing. One school will be presented with the coveted Best Production Award and will be invited to lunch with Rudolph Walker OBE. Individual students will have the chance to be recognised with accolades such as Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Script.
Louise Walker, co-lead of Roding Valley High School’s drama department, said: “I am so proud of this group for the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm they have put into the piece from day one. It was a nail biting wait between the performance and the announcement of the results but we are all so excited about this amazing opportunity!”
The school’s success follows a visit by the distinguished EastEnders actor in February who first announced that five of Roding Valley High School’s students had been selected to join the programme, which aims to enhance the creative talents of young people and provide opportunities to work with professional actors.
The audience at the final will be made up of parents, actors, friends, dignitaries and the public, alongside Robert Gee, the celebrity mentor who worked with the students in preparation for their piece.
Sharon Jenner, Headteacher at Roding Valley High School, said: “This initiative has not only filled the group with a sense of passion and ambition to do well at the final but has given them the opportunity to develop the confidence and skills that they can take outside of the classroom. We can’t wait to see the performance in London.”
