What a Palaver

Earlier in May, Upper Sixth student Bessie Glassup wrote, directed and acted in 'What a Palaver' with other students as part of her EPQ artefact.

What a Palaver is a metatheatrical play within a play in which an audience watch a society of actors (played by real people) perform the opening night of their latest murder mystery, and despite concrete assurance of how well it will go, the disasters that occur as the play unfolds. Bessie impressively wrote, directed and starred in the play.

Bessie's EPQ title was 'How is comedy and farce used in British Theatre to engage a range of audiences', and it explores the details of the farce genre from its origins in Europe up until the present day where it has culminated in practitioners such as Mischief Theatre, Ray Cooney and Michael Frayn.

Bessie reflected on the experience: "It was an incredibly enjoyable, but a very lengthy process, I started writing the script in November 2024 and began staging the play in October 2025, so it's been a long time in the making. Being able to watch my characters come to life through such an amazing cast was really exciting and being able to bring the world I had created to life was almost surreal. I had so much fun creating the performance, but it was a huge undertaking in my A-level year. I don't think I could have pulled it off without the support of my cast, the Notre Dame Theatre Department and especially with my best friends Gracie who acted as my producer, social media manager, box office and any other role that needed filling."

Bessie thanks everyone who supported her throughout What a Palaver's creation, our Theatre Technician and the rest of the Notre Dame Theatre department for the support they offered all the students involved. Thanks as well to everyone who came to watch the show last month.

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is equivalent to half an A-level where students create a piece of work such as an investigation, field study, dissertation, performance or artefact. It enables students to deepen their knowledge of a subject - perhaps one they wish to study at university or didn't have the space to take at A-level. Students interested in undertaking the EPQ will receive further information at the end of your first half term at College.