Upper School Stun Audience With Stage Production

Upper School’s performance of ‘The Adventures of Neverland’ was enjoyed by a packed auditorium at The Putney Arts Theatre. The children adapted the classic Peter Pan story to suit a more modern generation.

This adaptation was particularly effective working with primary aged children because there are strong character groups with strong identities in the play. Initially, Upper School participated in drama workshops exploring the chosen characteristics of each group: the hapless pirates with their terrifying leader Hook; the fun-loving Lost Boys with their beloved leader Peter; the modern teenage skateboarding gang with their independent female leader Tiger; the storyteller fairies and their relationship with the rebellious Tink; and finally – The Darling family.

After a long discussion about the representation of the Native American tribe in the original story, Year 6 decided to change the tribe into a skateboarding teenage gang and created the characters in Tiger’s gang and their raps.

Putting on a play is so much more than acting. Working together towards a shared goal encourages teamwork, empathy and self-drive and motivation from our Upper School pupils. Having the confidence to speak to an audience is an important skill for life and the children’s confidence just keeps growing and growing.

With children in our current world swamped with electronics and social difficulties, Drama is the subject that promotes healthy and positive communication and gives pupils an opportunity to step into the shoes of others so they can see the world from their point of view. 

We were extremely proud of all the Upper School children – bravo!

See some photos of the Upper School production in our photo gallery.