Drama at Warwick School has exceptional range and is pursued with relish and conviction by large numbers of boys.

There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to take part, whatever their level of experience, on or off stage.

Productions and theatrical events are centred around the magnificent Bridge House Theatre. Plays are staged to a very high standard with professional quality performances the norm. Boys have many opportunities to take part in weekly workshops, perform or play a role within production support (backstage, technical or design). There are slots in the programme each year for the boys to direct and produce their own plays, managing budget and design as an independent company. 

Warwick School runs a dance company – Altiora, in association with Motionhouse Dance Company providing a very high standard of expressive and dynamic movement which features in many of our productions.

Alongside masterclasses, residencies from companies such as Frantic Assembly, festival productions and individual casting opportunities, we aim to inspire the boys to enjoy as diverse and broad a range of experiences in drama as possible. We regularly host professional productions and touring shows in the theatre and have a busy programme of excursions each year. We have participated in national festivals and international tours and we are currently planning our next overseas theatre trip to New York for April 2017.

We provide an exceptional performance foundation for our boys, many of whom go from Warwick to professional training, academic courses and careers in the theatre, TV and creative arts industries.

Our speech and drama provision at Warwick School prepares pupils to take LAMDA's Performance and Communication graded examinations across a range of syllabi including Acting, Shakespeare, Speaking Verse and Prose, Reading for Performance and Speaking in Public.

Lessons take place across 30 weeks of the academic year. The exact number of sessions per term depends on the school’s term dates. Tuition is charged termly in advance at £34.20 per lesson.

Lessons take place on a weekly basis, each lasting 30 minutes. Typically, pupils in Years 7 and 8 are taught in pairs. This provides pupils the opportunity to benefit from working collaboratively with a partner. Then pupils in Year 9 and above are taught one-to-one.

In Years 7 to 9, pupils are taken out of academic lessons on a rotational timetable, similar to the system for peripatetic music lessons. Pupils in Years 10 and above are allocated a session before school, during lunchtime or after school. 6th Form pupils are also offered a session during a free period.

Depending on availability, pupils can be enrolled onto LAMDA provision at the start of a new term. When at capacity, a waiting list is in place. If a pupil wishes to discontinue their LAMDA lessons, please note that a full term’s notice is required.

We hold an in-school exam session every Spring, towards the end of the Lent term. This ensures that our session takes place before GCSE and A-Level exams. If a pupil isn’t ready to take an exam during our in-school session, we can consider alternative arrangements, such as one of LAMDA’s Public Centre Sessions which take place throughout the year.

Each year we hold our Performance Evening, held at the school’s Bridge House Theatre. This is a much-enjoyed event, providing us with the opportunity to invite family and friends to enjoy a selection of work from some of our Performance pupils.

Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)

We offer pupils the opportunity to consider exams across the Performance, Communication and Shakespeare pathways. These are all recognised qualifications within the RQF.