Congratulations to students of ECP Theatre Company for their production of ‘The Blue Doors’
The 30th anniversary of the English College in Prague made the Theatre Company think about what it means to be a member of the ECP community. What makes us special is our commitment to Czech and British culture, so we decided to devise an absurdist performance. Each scene has been inspired by British and Czech playwrights, musicians, artists, poets and novelists. The students discussed and improvised aspects that were eventually synthesised into a story that examines what it is to be human. The familiar blue doors of ECP are iconic, so in devising this work, we use the idea as a symbol for knowledge and enlightenment. The blue lit suitcase is a glimpse into what can be achieved in a world of liberalism, reciprocity and international mindedness, our founding principles.
Art students in IB and Pre-IB assisted behind the scenes with the production design. Our set design envisaged an urban wasteland; the city walls were layered with text and image like sketchbook pages, bearing the remnants of British and Czech writers who inspired the creative process of the Theatre Company.
We had two nights sold out and one extra performance for our Y1 students who had a Q&A with the directors and design team.
Student reflection
My experience in the ECP Theater Company started when I joined in Year 1, so I’ve definitely seen all types of plays be directed, choreographed and written by Ms. Morgan and each one of them was a fantastic experience but this one took the cake for me. What makes Theatre Company so important to me is the opportunity to cooperate creatively with so many talented individuals. It is a very different process than creating something on your own that you control entirely. Sometimes that experience of having to work with a team of different talents and ideas is chaostic and can be messy, but it is also the most dynamic, energizing process I know.
