We were extremely fortunate to be able to invite actress Helen McCrory (OQ) to return to Queenswood to adjudicate our Drama Scholarship auditions on Monday 27 January.

Helen, who was a student here in the 1980s, and studied Drama under the tutelage of actor Thane Bettany, worked with students on a range of Lady Macbeth’s monologues, and gave tremendously useful advice on exploring facets of character through unusual practical exercises. Girls whispered their speeches through imaginary cracks in the floorboards, or panted their lines as they heaved a dead weight across the stage – and in doing so showed how well they responded to direction from one of Britain’s leading actors.

Helen was very generous with her time, and gave great encouragement to girls hoping to follow in her footsteps. She is currently filming in Dublin, and we were thrilled that she was able to spend a rare day off at her old school. She had the chance to visit the studio theatre that bears her name, and reminisced with Principal Pauline Edgar about some of the changes that have taken place at Queenswood over the years.

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