House Play Festival 2025

The 2025 House Play Festival, held during the final week of half term, showcased eight comedies and four dramas over four busy nights. Each house performed to packed audiences in our Redgrave Theatre. The week offered a broad range of theatre, including three pieces of new writing and diverse styles and forms.

Oakeley’s won Best Production for their witty, intuitive and hilarious performance of Crimes in Egypt, artfully directed by Bea W. This skilful staging of a comedic whodunnit was full of well-timed madcap silliness and expert character portrayals. Oakeley’s achieved further success at the awards ceremony, with a duo sharing the Best Actor in a Comedy Award and the Best Costume trophy.

East Town’s production of Fawlty Towers: Communication Problems delivered a delightful dose of classic slapstick. With some sensitive and subtle gender swaps, this piece was delivered with aplomb, earning the house the Best Comedy award, and Best Director award for Edward T.

Worcester won Best Drama for their production of Cut by Ed Monk. This contemporary, reality-bending play was ably performed, with the house wholeheartedly embracing the play’s inherent strangeness and constant shifts in narrative and tone.

A particular highlight of this year’s festival was the engagement across all houses, especially from the 3rd form students, whose considerable ability, energy, and passion shone throughout the week.

The festival is a highlight of the school calendar, allowing creativity, collaboration, and engagement to thrive. This year’s judging panel comprised Head of English, Mary Beever; newly appointed Director of Performing Arts, James Moore; and guest judge Sarah Clarke, who is rumoured to have seen over 450 house plays!

Full list of Awards

• Best Prep Award – West Town

• Best Costume Design – Oakeley’s

• Tech Achievement – Hollands

• Best Staging – East Town

• Choreography – North Town

• Stage Presence – Artem K., Watson’s

• Best 3rd Form Performance – Delilah M., West Town

• Achievement Award – Moberly’s and The South Town

• The Sarah Clarke Artistic Achievement Award – Hallward’s

• Best Moment – Wiseman’s

• Rising Star Award – Maggie M., Holland’s

• Best Supporting Actor in a Drama – Molly H., Worcester

• Best Actor in a Drama – Frida K., Hallward’s

• Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy – Charlie R., Henry H., and Dylan L., School House

• Best Actor in a Comedy – Hannah D. and Mabel M., Oakeley’s

• Best Director – Edward T., East Town

• Best Comedy – East Town

• Best Drama – Worcester

• Best Production – Oakeley’s

Full list of Plays

• Wiseman’s – Bouncers

• East Town – Fawlty Towers

• North Town – St. Snobston’s

• West Town – The Heights

• School House – The Bible The Complete Word of God (Abridged)

• Watson’s – Frosted Fiasco in Bergen

• Moberly’s – I’m in a Fairy Tale, Get Me Out of Here!

• Oakeley’s – Crimes in Egypt

• Worcester – Cut

• Hallward’s – The Attic

• Holland’s – Chatroom

• The South Town – Jungle Book