Centrestage @ BVGS is very proud to offer both Speech and Drama lessons on a co-curricular basis.  Lessons take place throughout the school day on a rotating timetable. This is our 6th year at BVGS and the number of pupils who learn Speech with us has increased from year to year. Over 100 students currently take Speech lessons, and the majority choose to enter LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) examinations in the summer term.

LAMDA results each year have been outstanding, and the 2022 results have been no different. 100% of pupils passed with a Merit or a Distinction, and 86% of students a pass with Distinction – a wonderful achievement for the boys involved. We are particularly proud of our quieter, less confident students, who work out of their comfort zone to practise and perform to an audience.

We offer both Public Speaking and Speaking Verse and Prose exams, and pupils can follow these syllabi up to Grade 8 and Diploma level.  From Grade 6 upwards, the exams carry UCAS (university entrance) points. In addition, many students use Speech lessons for the skills section of their Duke of Edinburgh award.

Drama classes at BVGS take place after school on Mondays and Tuesdays. These are creative drama classes which are designed to promote confidence, inspire creativity and develop social skills. We offer performance opportunities for Year 7 all the way through to Year 13 – and not always in the way you would expect! In 2016, Years 7-9 students performed a devised play at the Lichfield Festival 2016 ‘Poppies’ concert in Lichfield Cathedral. In 2017, Year 7 took part in their own fantastic version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” which took place outside the BVGS cricket pavilion. There is the opportunity, if students so wish, to take LAMDA Acting exams from Year 9 upwards, and these exams have proved popular with students.

Over the years, we have mounted many fantastic school shows – including twice being placed in the top 4 school shows in Birmingham at the Knights of St Columbus awards. Older students have performed Two by Jim Cartwright, Find Me by Olwen Wymark and a short version of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, to name but a few. Younger students have performed full-length productions of Jabberwocky by Chris Owen, Toad adapted from A.A. Milne, in addition to a number of smaller projects.

If you would like to contact CENTRESTAGE about places at BVGS, please email admin@centrestageschool.org.uk