Heidi, one of our international boarders taking A Level Drama wrote the following review of a recent trip to the Theatre:
On 7 November, students from Year 11 and Year 12 had the opportunity to visit the famous Apollo Theatre in the heart of London. We attended the modern play Punch by David Shields. For many students it was their first time experiencing a performance in a West End theatre and everybody was very excited from the beginning.
As we entered the Apollo Theatre, we immediately felt its special atmosphere. The impressive and historic building, with its elegant decorations and red velvet seats, created a classic and welcoming setting.
The play Punch impressed us with a mix of humour, serious moments, and quick scene changes. The story explores personal conflict, identity, and the search for one’s place in a chaotic world.
Punch tells the true story of Jacob Dunne, a young man who gets into a fight and kills someone with one single punch. He is found guilty and sent to prison. After his release, he meets the parents of the victim and begins a difficult journey of facing guilt, responsibility, and forgiveness. The play shows how Jacob tries to change his life and learn from his mistake. In the end Jacob begins to rebuild his life, showing that people can change and learn from their mistakes. The three main topics of this play are forgiveness and healing, guilt and responsibility, personal growth and change. All in all, the atmosphere was tense and at some point, emotional and thoughtful because Jacob is in the same age as most of us. In addition, it is a real story, which makes the atmosphere more tense. For example, Jacob learns from his mistake and tries to improve his life, showing that people can change, even if its very difficult. The actors performed with great energy, and their emotional expressions made the story easy to follow. Furthermore, the play uses for example dark lighting and tense sound effects during Jacob’s fight and court scenes to show his guilt and the seriousness of his actions. Overall, the sound and lighting were an important part of the whole performance, which made the experience incredible.
All in all, the trip was a fantastic experience. Seeing Punch at the Apollo Theatre gave us a powerful and emotional insight into the story, and the combination of acting and stage effects, made it unforgettable.
Click here to learn more about GCSE Drama and A Level Drama and Theatre.