Creativity, collaboration and quick thinking took centre stage at Durham School’s House Drama Competition 2026, as more than 100 pupils from all six houses came together to create original plays in just a few hours.
The annual House Drama Competition challenged pupils to bring a play to life in a single day, drawing on their imagination, teamwork and performance skills to produce six original productions.
In the week leading up to the competition, each house assembled its cast and crew, with senior pupils and members of the Sixth Form taking on leadership roles as directors. Pupils also took responsibility for set, lighting, costume and sound design, ensuring every aspect of their production was considered.
Gathering in the Luce Theatre on the morning of the competition, pupils were presented with three pictures as possible stimuli. Each house selected one image and developed its themes, ideas and atmosphere into an original play, bringing their stories to the stage by the end of the day.
The resulting performances were creative, funny and thought-provoking, demonstrating an impressive level of imagination and commitment given the short time available.
Celebrating outstanding performances
The competition was adjudicated by Mr Mike Elliston, an award-winning playwright and creative collaborator who has written for the original Star Wars trilogy and continues to work as an artist in residence locally. He faced the difficult task of judging the productions across three categories: Best Play, Best Actor and Best Design.
Pimlico claimed the overall victory, achieving 95 points out of 100, with Lodge finishing in second place on 94 points and School taking third place with 83 points.
In the individual categories, Pimlico also secured the Best Play award with The Girl in Seat 17, directed by Jasmine M, while Lodge won Best Design with a perfect score of 30 out of 30.
The Best Actor award went to Francesca W (Year 11) of Pimlico, who received full marks for her performance. Oliver R (Year 7) of The Caffinites was runner-up, with Luna Mc (Year 9) of Lodge and Jesse E (Year 10) of School sharing third place.
The six original productions were:
- MacLeod: The Invisible Town – directed by Chinmayi G
- School: Do Not Open – directed by Charlie D
- Lodge: Things We Cannot Say – directed by Amy G and Grace S
- Poole: Unexplained in Coxhoe – directed by Joseph S
- Pimlico: The Girl in Seat 17 – directed by Jasmine M
- The Caffinites: The Men in Dark Grey Suits – directed by Joshua M
More than a competition
Reflecting on the event, adjudicator Mr Elliston praised the pupils’ commitment and the opportunity for young people of all abilities to work together.
He said: “It’s great to see students of all abilities come together in this way and learn/employ new skills such as critical thinking, teamwork and communication.”
He also highlighted the importance of drama in helping pupils develop essential skills that will benefit them whatever career paths they choose to pursue in the future.
The House Drama Competition was a wonderful celebration of creativity, collaboration and pupil leadership, showcasing what can be achieved when pupils work together towards a shared goal.
Congratulations to Jasmine and everyone in Pimlico House on their overall victory, and well done to all six houses for an outstanding day of drama!
