Beginners, please
The curtain rises on a new era at Claremont High School
The return of the Drama Department’s perennial favourite, ‘Plays in 7 Days’, sees the debut of many new performers, including the entrance of a key player: new Head of Drama, Ms Costas. After ten years of teaching in Scotland, she moved back to London, first to teach at John Lyon School and now Claremont.
She’s already looking forward to her next act: ‘I’m keen to broaden how we develop students' skills within Drama, moving beyond acting to give greater focus to elements such as theatre design. Lighting, sound, set and costume are such a rich part of the subject and I would like pupils to have further opportunities to explore these areas, whether through workshops or taking on design roles in productions. It gives students who might not see themselves as performers a genuine route into Drama, and it strengthens everyone's understanding of theatre as a collaborative craft.
‘I’m genuinely excited about this year's musical, which will be a real highlight for the department and a wonderful opportunity for pupils to work on a large-scale production from the ground up. Beyond the buzz of performance, I see it as a chance to develop skills that go far beyond the rehearsal room, from stagecraft and ensemble discipline to the sense of pride that comes from seeing a big project through to opening night.’
Ms Costas’ enthusiasm for her subject started in Portugal, where she grew up. ‘What first shaped my love of Drama was a teacher who decided to start a theatre group, and that experience stayed with me. When I moved to London to study Drama at Queen Mary University, I found myself drawn to lectures on “Theatre in Education” and it was there that my passion for the subject turned into a desire to teach it, particularly through working with children.’
This experience still inspires her today. ‘What continues to drive me is the power Drama has to help people understand the wider world, the value of shared experience and how it deepens our understanding of our own emotions. It builds confidence and the ability to communicate under pressure, which serves students well in exams, interviews and everyday life. It develops empathy, since performing a role means genuinely understanding a perspective other than your own. It strengthens collaboration and trust, as devising and rehearsing depends on pupils working closely together as an ensemble. And most important of all, it gives young people a creative outlet where risk-taking is not only allowed, it’s essential to progress.’