'Tis 70 years, 50 years, 25 years ago

The existence of a theatre in a school says a lot about the way drama is valued. Not everyone takes to the stage but almost every Old Breconian will have seen more than one school production; many will have been in at least one.

As we anticipate the 10 years since the opening of Y Neuadd Goffa in 2013, we begin a trawl through the Archives and present galleries of drama photographs for your enjoyment, beginning with ‘As You Like It’ (70 years ago), ‘Doctor Faustus’ (50 years ago) and ‘Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme’ (25 years ago).

Drama has been part of the life of the school since the Christmas Theatricals of the 1890s. More recent Old Breconians take for granted that productions are performed in a school theatre but, as older Old Breconians will know, that hasn’t always been the case. The earliest productions were staged in Big School, which now houses the Kendrick Edwards Library and the R J Boulton Archive Room. 

In 1955 the construction of a large new hall was enabled by donations from Old Breconians to commemorate those who gave their lives in the Second World War. The new ‘Memorial Hall’ was designed as a multi-purpose hall which could be used as a gymnasium, an assembly hall, an orchestral practice room and a theatre.

The first dramatic production to be staged in the new ‘Mem. Hall’ was ‘Hamlet’. The experience of a performing on a real stage was a source of much excitement for pupils used to performing in Big School. You can read more about the 1955 production in the 15 41 exhibition. 

Each in their own way, the galleries represent a dramatic era in the life of the school: ‘As You Like It’ was one of the last productions in Big School; ‘Doctor Faustus’ was the very first school production in which female characters were played by girls (from the Convent); ‘Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme’ is a late twentieth century example of school productions that have long been characterised by high production values, elaborate costumes, and ingenious sets.

We have plans to post many more galleries of school productions. Let us know if there is a production you’d like to see posted sooner rather than later. In the meantime, click on the links to explore the galleries and enjoy those already posted.

And if you have a story to share about your experience about being in any of the productions, tell us by posting a Comment. If you have a longer story to tell, Felicity would be delighted to hear from you.