Last week, Senior Drama students performed Three Cool Cats, a play written by Eva and Claire (LVI). Here, Claire writes about how the play came about:

In November, we came up with the idea of writing, casting and putting on a student-led play. Our goals right off the bat was for this to be as fun as possible, we wanted to involve other year groups, to include those who don’t study Drama, and create a script that had lots of different characters, good music and could involve as many people as possible.  

So, throughout the Autumn and Spring Term we met (almost) every week and worked on the script, came up with our characters and discussed ideas for music and staging.  

It wasn’t until the end of the first Half Term of summer that the script was finalised, and we had lots more to sort out! Thankfully, the response we got when asking if people wanted to be involved was fantastic and we were super excited to have a mix of both the LV and the LVI in the cast. It has been a chaotic but, equally, super fun two weeks of rehearsing and we’re so grateful to everyone who has worked so hard. 

The Three Cool Cats is set in New Hollywood, in the early 1970s which was a pivotal time in the film industry in which directors and actors began to turn away from the traditional confinements of the stereotypical ‘Old Hollywood.’ As the baby boom generation came of age in the 1960s, 'Old Hollywood' was rapidly losing money. There was a market shift during the period of those who were going to the cinema, from a middle-aged higher-educated audience in the mid-1960s to a younger audience, in the mid-1970s. In reflection of this, directors became younger, the style of movies changed to be more fast-paced, with themes of violence, crime and a more naturalistic and ‘real’ approach to acting. We wanted the script to reflect these ideas as well as include some commentary on the treatment of Hollywood actors.

Characters include aspiring actor Jean Duval played by Eva, as well as the 'Three Cool Cats', from Cats Acting Agency (also known at Don, John and Sean), played by Willa, Theodora and Alex.  There is also Hollywood’s heartthrob Christopher Anderson played by Honor L-P, actor Pippa Reneé played by Izzy R. and many others (see full cast list below) 

Putting this play together has required so much teamwork and collaboration and we would also like to thank the fantastic Nikol Makhovka for choreographing one of the dances as well as Ophelia O. for doing the lighting. And Grace H. for doing the music.  

Thanks to the whole cast and all those who came to support! 

Claire D, LVI