The Clarence Play 2023: Paranoia
12 October 2023 - All
We began the academic year strongly in the Drama Department as the Clarence play, Paranoia, was performed on the last weekend of September. The play was written by one of the Drama Prefects, Acada (UVI) and she expertly directed her cast of five Clarence pupils who all excellently executed their roles, creating clear characters and building an intriguing narrative.
Work began on the piece in the Summer Term of 2023 and started with experiments and improvisations to help develop the characters and their relationships. From these initial workshops the plot and characters developed, and the script evolved over time.
On the final week of rehearsals, light and sound were brought in, which further heightened the atmosphere and gave a strong metaphysical sense to the play. The fast-paced, 35-minute plot follows a group of mismatched teenagers unexpectedly bonding after being trapped in a storage cupboard during a lockdown alarm. Ultimately, we were led towards a shocking twist which left the audience ruminating on ‘what was real and what wasn’t?’.
Both performances ran smoothly and were received well by the audience, with many pupils commenting that they had thoroughly enjoyed the dark comedy and twisting narrative.
Applications to direct the Clarence Play next year have just opened and all Lower Sixth pupils are invited to follow in Acada’s footsteps in 2024!
Mr James Harrington
Head of Drama
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