House Play Festival 2026

The 2026 House Play Festival transformed the Redgrave Theatre into a world of shadows, suspense, and stylistic intrigue, moving away from the previous year’s four‑night schedule to embrace a high‑energy format of double bills performed over three atmospheric nights.

Performing to packed audiences of peers, staff, and invited guests, the students rose to the challenge of this year's central theme, 'Hitchcock Noir', which provided a unified creative spark for twelve unique interpretations ranging from classic whodunnits to tense psychological thrillers.

Wiseman’s secured the coveted Best Production award for their masterful staging of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, a performance that perfectly captured the tension and stylistic flair of the noir genre, while also earning the trophy for Best Actor for a standout individual performance from Iestyn J.

Best Drama was awarded to Holland's House, who transported the audience 4,000 miles to Saint Marie with a sharply directed, sun‑soaked and suspenseful Death in Paradise mystery, elevated by standout performances, inventive staging, and a confident ensemble that delivered clarity, humour, and intrigue from start to finish.

The Best Comedy award went to Oakeley’s The Trouble with Doctor Greene, a chaotic caper set during a leaving party with deadly consequences, complete with oversized caricatures and lanyards, rounding out the top honours of the festival.

The unenviable task of judging this year’s immense talent fell to a distinguished panel including the ever‑inspiring Head of English, Mary Beever; the legendary Sarah Clarke, who has been a fixture of the festival since 1984 and is rumoured to have seen well over 460 house plays; and Reverend Mel, who brought a fresh perspective to the panel’s deliberations.

During the hotly anticipated awards ceremony held in the Chapel, our new Head of Drama, Mr Mancuso, reflected on the immense effort and growth displayed by every student, reminding the school that “what we celebrate here isn’t just performance; it’s the courage to try, the curiosity to explore, and the willingness to grow through creativity.” He praised the pupils for creating worlds where imagination meets commitment, highlighting the particular energy and passion of the 3rd Form students and the precision of the technical crews who kept the machine running with professionalism.

As the curtain falls on this year's festival, the journey for many of our young artists is only just beginning.

Full list of Awards

• Best Prep Award - North Town

• Best Costume Design - School House

• Tech Achievement - Moberly’s

• Best Staging - East Town

• Best Moment - West Town (Eva C.)

• Stage Presence - School House (Maxime A.)

• Best 3rd Form Performance - Holland's (Elinor B.)

• Audience Favourite - Oakeley’s

• The Sarah Clarke Artistic Achievement Award - The South Town

• Rising Star Award - The South Town (Xavi H.)

• Best Use of Ensemble - Worcester

• Best Supporting Actor in a Drama - Hallward’s (Emily R.)

• Best Actor in a Drama - Wiseman’s (Iestyn J.)

• Best Director - Moberly’s

• Best Comedy - Oakeley’s

• Best Drama - Holland's

• Best Production - Wiseman’s

Full list of Plays

• East Town - Frasier: Ham Radio

• Hallward’s - Rebecca

• Holland's - Death in Paradise

• Moberly’s - The Death of a Sailsman

• North Town - Death in Clifton

• Oakeley’s - The Trouble with Dr Greene

• School House - Hercules

• The South Town - Traitors

• Watson’s - Too Many Detectives

• West Town - Murder Mansion

• Wiseman's - And Then There Were None

• Worcester - The Last Course