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UAL students stage original play: “It was a real team effort”

9th March 26

Five people move energetically around a central campfire structure on a stage dressed as a woodland clearing. One person in a yellow coat lifts a leg mid‑step, while others reach upward or lean into the movement. Leaves, branches and scattered props cover the ground under overhead stage lighting.

Towards the end of their two-year UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Production and Performing Arts, students are tasked with devising and staging their own production from scratch.

The current cohort performed their resulting play, Mr Green’s Wild Foxes, over three nights in February at The King Alfred Phoenix Theatre. Below, Year 13 student Flo E-O explains the project.

“We have a term to complete our ‘devising’ project. We spent the first half looking at absurdist and political practitioners such as Brecht, Boal, and Artaud before moving on to create our own play. We were drawn to the idea that it’s more interesting to see people on stage who are not at their best or who aren’t necessarily good people.

“Our play, Mr Green’s Wild Foxes, is about a group of friends who reunite at the funeral of their summer camp counsellor. Old memories are stirred up, and truths revealed. It looks at how we suppress unpleasant memories, how we dance around difficult topics (at times literally in this production), and how we deal with the fallout.

“I learnt that sometimes you have to sacrifice one idea to benefit the bigger picture”

“As a group, we are marked on the project as a whole; that includes the research, the writing and the performance, but we are all able to focus on different aspects within that. Tabby and I wrote the draft script, and then we refined it as a group, with each person able to input on their character. Markos is focused on the production side, so he has been working on the sound and lighting – so it’s a real team effort.

“Writing the play was difficult, but I learnt how to work with other people, how to take other people’s ideas into account and that sometimes you have to sacrifice one idea to benefit the bigger picture – it’s been a journey, but I’m pleased with it!”

Take a look at more pictures from this year’s UAL Level 3 devised performance below. You can also read about our other recent drama production, Guys and Dolls.

A person wearing a textured jumper and light trousers sits on a wooden stump with hands resting near their face. Behind them, another person sits on the floor near a log, next to a rolled sleeping bag. The stage floor is covered with leaves and camping props, illuminated by purple and pink lighting.

Two people stand close together on a stage set to resemble a woodland clearing. One person wears a black sleeveless dress with a tiered skirt and knee‑high boots, while the other wears a rust‑coloured top and light trousers. They face one another, holding hands under bright stage lighting, with leaves and stones scattered on the ground.

A dimly lit technical booth is shown, with one person partially illuminated by a small overhead light. To the left, a workstation with equipment, cables, and a bottle is lit, contrasting with the otherwise shadowed surroundings.

A person in a grey tracksuit and another person in a bright blue pleated dress stand close together on a stage designed to look like a forest floor, holding and looking at a small object. A large log lies in the foreground, and the scene is lit with purple stage lighting.

In the foreground, a person with long wavy hair in a black outfit sits close to the camera under deep pink‑purple lighting. Behind, two people sit back‑to‑back on a log, one wearing a bright blue dress and the other in casual clothing, both focused downward.

Under a single spotlight, a person stands near technical equipment, wearing a shirt stained with dark red stage blood and holding something small in their hands. The surrounding area is dark, with only the equipment case and a floor fan faintly visible.

A group of four people sit or stand around an unlit campfire set on a stage covered with leaves and branches. One person in a bright yellow coat sits on a log to the right, while the others sit or stand on wooden stumps. Hanging foliage and purple lighting create an atmospheric woodland setting.

Two people sit side by side on a large log placed on a leaf‑covered stage designed to resemble a forest floor. One wears a light jumper and loose trousers, the other wears a grey tracksuit. They sit facing forward under soft, cool lighting with branches and stones marking the edge of the performance space.

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UAL students stage original play: “It was a real team effort”

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