BATs Take Flight

The Bishop’s BATs give their first performance to rave reviews!

On 27th April 2023, following months of hard work, the Bishop’s Acting Troupe (BATs) performed Olwen Wymark’s play Find Me, about a young woman who faces increasingly challenging mental health issues. Based on a true story, the main character is eventually sent to Broadmoor, as there is no other place deemed “suitable”. The play focuses on the impact this has on her family. It asks questions about how we treat people with mental health difficulties in society and if our systems are fit for purpose. This challenging content was dealt with in an extremely mature way by the students who took part in the performance, and it was very important to them to communicate the struggles faced by the characters. In order to achieve such a successful performance, the students were extremely conscientious and enthusiastic. Not only did they work hard to learn their lines, but they organised props, costumes and set. The lighting was designed and operated by students, as was the backstage management. They also designed the logo and had T-shirts made to wear during rehearsals. The troupe impressed the audience with their talent, vocabulary and maturity. BATs was set up at the start of this academic year, and is BHGS’s first theatre company. It is for students who have a love of acting or designing, want to work on plays. Although auditions were open to all years, the troupe is currently made up of Year 8 and 9 students. Their second performance will at the Expressive Arts Showcase in July.