Year 7 students at LVS Ascot, an award-winning independent day and boarding school, on London Road, Ascot, took to the stage recently, winning two national awards for their talents in performing arts after just three weeks of rehearsals.
12-year-old Rosie Robertson won Best Junior Girl Performance for her portrayal of Alice in Variations and, together with the rest of her cast members, also won the award for Best Middle (Years 7-9) Production. The play, by Katie Hims, is a cautionary tale seen through the eyes of a teenage girl, who wishes her life were different, and is a popular choice for schools.
It is the first play that Year 7, the youngest in the senior school, has been able to perform, due to lockdown restrictions. They took to the stage and recorded their performance after just three weeks of rehearsals, following the return to school in March.
The ISA Drama Festival is an annual celebration of the dramatic arts. ISA Members’ Schools from across the country perform in competition. Each performance is assessed by an independent judge against set criteria. This year the competition was held online due to the pandemic and all the winning entries can be seen at https://www.isaschools.org.uk/arts/drama/drama-competition
The judge commented on Rosie Robertson’s impressive ability to hold the stage throughout the 20-minute performance, the convincing performances of family life and added humour and described the play as “thoroughly enjoyable to watch”.
Speaking on behalf of LVS Ascot, school principal, Christine Cunniffe, commented; “It’s fantastic to see the youngest members of our senior school showing such promise, especially as they had such a limited time to prepare. The win is a huge accolade to their determination and to the encouragement and dedication from our Performing Arts department.”
ISA national arts officer, Marie-Ange Moncuy, added; “The past twelve months has seen every drama award from the BAFTAs to the Oscars go online, and the ISA Drama Festival was no exception. A huge congratulations to the cast and team behind Variations at LVS Ascot for such brilliant performances.”
LVS Ascot offers Drama at GCSE and Drama and Theatre Studies at A Level. Students can choose to focus on acting or design and learn both performance and technical theatre skills as well as textual study, collaboration and team working. The School’s facilities include a 250-seater theatre, with state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment, giving students the opportunity to experience the technical and behind the scenes roles in a real life setting as well as the thrill of being on stage. Scholarships for entry into the senior school (Year 7) are available for students displaying one of a range of outstanding talents, including Performing Arts.
For further information about LVS Ascot, visit www.lvs.ascot.sch.uk