A Triumphant Drama Production!

The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning by Tim Price tells the story of Chelsea Manning (born Bradley), the former US soldier accused of releasing 250,000 secret embassy cables and military logs from the Iraq and Afghan wars. But just a few years prior to this she was a teenager in west Wales. This play cleverly weaves the various threads of Chelsea's life into one fast-moving, thought-provoking drama. This is a challenging play by any measure, but the Fourth Form Drama class pulled it off with aplomb. Performed in an atmospheric theatre-in-the-round, the close proximity of audience with the performers increased the intensity of the piece. Lighting and sound were effectively designed by Ben Davidson and helped to suggest the various time periods and locations clearly. The class has developed strongly as an ensemble over the past year with all members making positive contributions to the performance. Particularly standouts were Olly Powell (who played the older Bradley Manning), James Duffy (a somewhat ineffective History teacher) and Edward McKay (as Bradley’s boyfriend, Tyler).

Tim Silk, Director of Drama