St Dunstan’s College was delighted to celebrate the grand opening of the new theatre on Wednesday 30 March.

Students, parents and Dunstonians gathered for the special ceremony, which was followed by the opening night of the Senior School performance of Machinal. Theatre and TV filmmaker Dean Byfield was guest of honour for the evening – and officially opened the theatre by cutting the ribbon.

Speaking about the opening, St Dunstan’s Head, Nicholas Hewlett explained: ‘The performance of Machinal, to open our new theatre, was entirely aligned with our founding vision that we should be educationally ‘ahead of the current time’. To see student leadership of such maturity directly tackling challenging social issues of injustice and inequality is a marker of the values of St Dunstan’s.

‘It is not lost on me that this imaginative use of space occupies the footprint of those very first technology rooms, which were so radical when they were opened in 1888. I have no doubt that the theatre will become a platform for creativity and courageous exploration for many years to come, and I thank all those who have made it possible.’

Following the opening of the College’s new STEM Block in 2021, the old design technology workshops and science laboratories have been transformed into a new Performing Arts Centre, which will house drama, performing arts and music.

The 150-seat space will be used for productions, musicals, and conferences – and will not only benefit the St Dunstan’s community, but also members of the wider Lewisham borough. The venue will also host a variety of events at this year’s St Dunstan’s Festival, which returns for two weeks at the end of June.

Speaking about performing arts at the College, Director of Drama and Dance, Gareth Steward added: ‘It is such an exciting time for performing arts at St Dunstan’s – something that this community truly values, prioritises and believes in. Along with the new theatre, the new facility includes three full equipped black box rehearsal spaces, two new LAMDA teaching rooms, a recording studio, ICT suite with professional software and two multi-functional classrooms spaces for music.

‘Whether you are a dancer, a designer, a performer, a technician, or a director, these facilities will ensure that every student is able to explore the limitless possibilities contained within the world of performing arts.’

The opening of the theatre follows a period of significant developments to the school grounds. Last year, the College’s new £25million Junior School, STEM and Sixth Form buildings officially opened, which were the most significant developments since the school opened in 1888. The College’s forward-thinking approach is now matched by modern, bright, and inspirational facilities.

Find out more about performing arts at St Dunstan’s, and visit the new facilities at one of the College’s upcoming open events. The whole College Open Day will also take place on Saturday 24 September, 0900 – 1500. Visit www.stdunstans.org.uk to find out more.