GCSE drama trip to see “Things I Know To Be True” at the Oxford Playhouse on Wednesday 5th September 2016
GCSE Drama students travelled to the nearby Oxford Playhouse to see the newest production by Frantic Assembly, ‘Things I Know To Be True’. This is only the second tour location of this production and the audience was packed. Students and staff sat smugly in third from the front row seats and had a perfect view from which to observe the incredible acting performances.
At a poignant moment in their lives, this moving script tells the story of a family of four grown siblings who are preparing to fly the nest and leave family life behind them. The play opened with a powerful monologue by daughter Rosie, who had been travelling and found her first love, only to be left with a broken heart. We saw her lifted and manipulated across the stage in a display of Frantic’s Assembly widely renowned physicality methods. We were introduced to Rosie’s brothers and sister, when she returned home early to be greeted by her slightly baffled parents, sure that something must be wrong despite her assurances. The play casts an intricate story of both personal and interrelated dilemmas and stories as the characters live through a shift in family dynamics, struggling to define themselves and their position in a world that reaches beyond their family’s love and expectations.
“Moving through themes of happiness, gender, theft and grief we were on an emotional rollercoaster as the script seamlessly moved us from laughter to tears. A powerful production enjoyed by all students and staff.” Sophie Herrman, Director of Drama
Trips to see live theatre play an important part in the drama syllabus, providing students with a wide range of inspiration and ideas that can be used in their own work.