We were very sad to say goodbye to head student Grace Stewart when she graduated in August 2024. But her new life, studying Drama at Royal Holloway, University of London, is already an exciting adventure – we caught up with her to hear how her first few weeks have been. And much to our Head of Drama, Miss Coles’ delight, her dramatic talent has already been spotted!

“Drama at Royal Holloway is such an amazing course, the atmosphere is so positive and is such a nice environment to be creative and work in. And the Performance and Digital Arts department has so much to offer. ‘The Student Workshop’ is a registered theatre company that is entirely run by students and every week there is a workshop from professionals in the industry. Currently I am on the committee for ‘The Student Workshop’ as the first-year representative, meaning I liaise between the first-years and the committee to ensure that my year is being represented in the workshops. I am working on organising my first theatre trip which is very exciting.   

Lectures are very interesting. In my ‘Theatre and Ideas’ module we had a lecture on ‘What is a play?’ by Dan Rebellato. This was such a thought-provoking lecture and prompted a lot of reflection and discussion afterwards. My ‘Theatre and Performance’ module is a practical class, and we have so far done an intimacy workshop, studying the concept of stillness, readiness, voice and breath. 

There are so many societies on offer - Drama society, Musical Theatre society, Improv Society, Shakespeare society and Dance society. I am a part of the Drama society and the Musical Theatre society. This term I was selected for a role in the Drama society play, an original work by one of our third-year students called ‘One More Star in the Sky’. I am playing the role of Clara, a feisty, straight-talking woman who is fiercely loyal and doesn’t take nonsense from anyone. We have rehearsals three times a week from 6pm to 10pm and they are honestly so much fun. The fact that it is an original play really gives us the opportunity to experiment and try out new things during rehearsals. It is so fulfilling to be working alongside such like-minded people who all love performance as much as I do.  

Written by Grace Stewart, Alumna Class of 2024 

The GDST Alumnae Network

The GDST Alumnae Network spans every sector and corner of the world. Being a GDST alumna offers endless opportunities, from mentoring to professional networking, self-development and social events. Alumnae can register and find more information on the GDST portal. 

Registration is also open for two upcoming GDST Alumnae Gatherings: 

• Trinity Hall Cambridge – connect with fellow alumnae in Cambridge on Saturday 26 October, 7-9pm. Register here.  

• For alumnae new and old connected to Bristol University, the GDST is planning a gathering at the Cosy Club on 7 November for you to connect with alumnae from across the GDST. Sign up here.