Congreve Society
Named after the dramatist William Congreve, friend of Lord Cobham, the Congreve Society was formed to promote the study, encouragement and practice of drama in all its aspects. There are normally two Congreve productions in a school year: The Senior Congreve by Fifth and Sixth Form, and Junior Congreve by the Third and Fourth Form. In addition to Congreves, the School has also produced House Plays, Lower Sixth Plays, staff plays, classical plays, modern language plays. The "Historian's Shakespeare" (1935-1962), was a forerunner as well as 'rival' to the Congreve Society for some years.
Before the opening of the Roxburgh Hall in 1959, Congreve productions took place in the Old Gym. Over the years, there have been Congreves set in other venues: Good Friday (1942) in Chapel, A Midsummer Night's Dream (1964) on the South Front, Othello (1965) in the Marble Hall, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (1971) at the Queen's Temple, and most recently in 2004, Noel Coward's triple bill of Hands Across the Sea and Shadow Play in the Temple Room and Still Life in the Music Room.
As well as acting, students also crew the productions looking after costume, make-up, set design, lighting and sound, and meet regularly with the Theatre Technician as an activity.
Master in charge: Mr Nick Bayley, Director of Drama
History of Senior Congreve Performances
| Congreve Society, 1941- |
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| Past Senior Congreve Performances: |
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| 2012 |
Our Country's Good |
| 2011 |
The Hired Man |
| 2010 |
Mother Courage and her Children |
| 2009 |
The Boy Friend |
| 2008 |
Real Inspector Hound |
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2007 |
Six Characters in Search of an Author |
| 2006 |
Habeas Corpus |
| 2005 |
Les Miserables |
| 2004 |
Noel Coward "A Talent To Amuse" |
| 2003 |
Cars |
| 2002 |
Camelot |
| 2001 |
Ring Round the Moon |
| 2000 |
Hamlet |
| 1999 |
Grease |
| 1998 |
Death of a Salesman |
| 1997 |
Guys & Dolls |
| 1996 |
The Importance of Being Earnest |
| 1995 |
Our Country's Good |
| 1994 |
Cabaret |
| 1993 |
The Millionairess |
| 1992 |
West Side Story |
| 1991 |
Our Town |
| 1990 |
Romeo and Juliet |
| 1989 |
Damn Yankees |
| 1988 |
The Boy Friend |
| 1987 |
The Cherry Orchard |
| 1986 |
Hamlet |
| 1985 |
Ring Round the Moon |
| 1984 |
Death of a Salesman |
| 1983 |
The School for Scandal |
| 1982 |
Peer Gynt |
| 1981 |
A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| 1980 |
The Physicists |
| 1979 |
The Merchant of Venice |
| 1978 |
London Assurance |
| 1977 |
Twelfth Night |
| 1976 |
An Enemy of the People |
| 1975 |
Beckett |
| 1974 |
Hadrian the Seventh |
| 1973 |
Hamlet |
| 1972 |
The Royal Hunt of the Sun |
| 1971 |
The Caine Mutiny Court Martial |
| 1970 |
The Cherry Orchard |
| 1969 |
Andorra |
| 1968 |
Caesar & Cleopatra |
| 1967 |
The Tempest |
| 1966 |
Chips with Everything |
| 1965 |
Othello |
| 1964 |
A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| 1963 |
A Man for All Seasons |
| 1962 |
Hedda Gabler |
| 1961 |
Ring Round the Moon |
| 1960 |
The Strong are Lonely |
| 1959 |
The Importance of Being Earnest |
| 1958 |
The Pardoner's Tale |
| 1957 |
Macbeth |
| 1956 |
The Government Inspector |
| 1955 |
Henry IV |
| 1954 |
His Excellency |
| 1953 |
The Winslow Boy |
| 1952 |
Richard of Bordeaux |
| 1951 |
Escape |
| 1950 |
Arms and the Man |
| 1949 |
The Taming of the Shrew |
| 1948 |
Night Must Fall |
| 1947 |
Tobias and the Angel |
| 1946 |
The Importance of Being Earnest |
| 1946 |
St Joan |
| 1945 |
The Duke in Darkness |
| 1944 |
Men in Shadow |
| 1943 |
Androcles and the Lion |
| 1942 |
Macbeth |
| 1942 |
Good Friday |