In this article I will be talking about one of my GCSE options and the exciting opportunities that it provides. 

One of my GCSE options is Drama. During Year 7-9, we have drama lessons on rotation with the other performing arts subjects. We study the subject in a specialist Drama room with an intricate design of black-painted walls and black curtains, along with special stage lights to give the theatre environment effect. We are also able to use black wooden blocks as part of our performances for creative staging purposes. Our drama room can also be used as a traditional classroom, with special fold away chairs that students use for written and coursework. One reason I chose Drama for GCSE is that I've learned that this subject is all about using important skills that you will need in your life, such as communication, listening and teamwork, whilst getting to demonstrate my creativity. One part of the course that I have enjoyed so far is the practical work due to the fact that it helps me express myself better. It provides me the opportunity to show my talents through practical work instead of written or spoken.

As a GCSE Drama student, we also get access to many exciting opportunities, one of which is that you can go on trips. On 7th March 2023, myself and a group of other Drama students went to see Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre in Central London.  

Hamilton is different from other musical theatre shows, in that it is  sung-and-rapped-through musical, drawing on music from the hip-hop, R&B and soul genre.The musical tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, once of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, who oversaw their independence from Great Britain in the 18th century.  The show was an amazing experience that I would recommend people to go watch. It has won many awards, such as the Tony Award for the Best Musical and the Best Original Score. The main message of the musical was to not jump to conclusions, so despite being set in 18th century USA, that particular principle can be applied to life today. The play’s  style and staging are very impressive, and  the show has been in the same theatre since 2017.  Also, after the performance, the whole production team including cast and crew gave us a demonstration of the technology in the theatre. For example,  there are 120 speakers that are used throughout the performance and we were given a demonstration of how they all work. All the lights are robotic and we got to see the quick changes that had to happen during the performance. We were also able to see the mechanical parts of the stage. 

I would recommend GCSE Drama to the people who like to experiment with showing their emotions through acting. It's also a good way to build confidence and communication skills.