Performance Arts

Shortlisted for the 2022 Independent School of the Year Award for Performance Arts and Music.

The Performance Arts Faculty at BMS has a long-standing tradition of providing students with an array of unrivalled exciting and challenging opportunities. Students will have the chance to take part in:

School Productions – We produce two major musicals every year in which students have the chance to perform in the school theatre. For Years 7-10, recent shows include Me and My Girl (2023), The Little Mermaid (2024), and Bugsy Malone (2025). For Years 11-13, our most recent productions are Our House (2023), Urinetown (2024) and Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2025) for which we were nominated for Best Musical at the National School Theatre Awards.
ACT! – Bedford Modern School hosts Bedford’s Schools’ Drama Festival. Schools from across the county come together to create and perform an evening of devised drama.
Theatre in Transit – Our exclusive Sixth Form theatre company, delivering a wide range of thought-provoking and challenging productions. Recent plays include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2023), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (2024), and The Government Inspector (2025). All plays are performed at The Place Theatre, Bedford.
Dance classes – These are offered to all years in Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz and Street Dance. The highlights of the year are the House Dance Competition and the Dance Showcase.
Speech and Drama – Students will have the chance to attend private lessons to prepare for LAMDA exams and take part in the Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama as well as our own Speech and Drama Showcase.
Performance Programme – Students are invited to apply to be part of our bespoke Performance Programme in which successful candidates are offered specialist workshops and trips designed to inspire our most gifted students.
Workshops – We use a range of industry professionals to run engaging and challenging workshops for our students. Recent workshops have explored Stage Combat, Blood Brothers, Stanislavski’s Realism, Documentary Film Making and Frantic Assembly.
Trips – We run a variety of trips throughout the year. Recent trips include the Warner Bros. Studios, the National Theatre archives, and Move It! as well as visits to the theatre to see new and exciting plays.
New York’s Broadway – Every other year we run a Sixth Form trip to the bright lights of New York – a wonderful experience designed specifically for Performance Arts students.

All BMS students are encouraged to audition for the various productions and showcases throughout the year.

Downloads

Modern Arts Brochure 2024/25

Artistic Highlights 2024-25

Performance Arts

Facilities

We have comprehensive Performing Arts facilities including a 280-seat auditorium, a theatre workshop, a dance studio and two drama studios.

The Howard Hall is a large and flexible space which forms the centrepiece of the School’s Performing Arts area. After an extensive refurbishment, it features:

Comprehensive LED lighting rig and sound system
Seating which can be curtained off to create an atmospheric events area
An adjoining large scenery workshop, green room, prop and costume store and dressing facilities.

Drama Room 1 adjoins the Howard Hall and the Music Faculty. This large studio is used for classroom drama, dance lessons and rehearsals and contains a comprehensive sound system, video projection facilities, a mirrored wall and ballet bar.

Drama Room 2 and The Studio are smaller ‘black box’ spaces used for classroom drama from Years 7-13. They contain lighting facilities, and projection and sound systems.

Speech and Drama is taught at School House. Several teaching rooms are available here, as well as a small library of playscripts.

Technical and administrative support is led by our Theatre Manager who oversees all our productions.

"“I wouldn’t have been able to get into LAMDA had it not been for the support and encouragement I received from BMS. My A Level in Theatre Studies gave me the practical experience to develop my career after leaving.”" OBM Charlie Russell (2005-07), Actress in The Play That Goes Wrong, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Doctors

"“I performed in all the plays and musicals I possibly could and studied GCSE Drama and A Level Theatre Studies. Without BMS, I wouldn’t have had the courage to join the National Youth Theatre or get to where I am now, not only as a professional television and film actor, but as a person.”" OBM Sope Dirisu (2002-09), Actor in Utopia, The Mill and The Huntsman

"“After completing my A Levels, I went on to study Stage Management at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Using the strong foundations I learnt during my time at BMS, I was able to begin to build my career within the performing arts. Since leaving the school, I have been fortunate enough to work across West End theatres, at the National Theatre, and have now moved into live events.”" OBM Ben Brown (2009), Stage Manager on War Horse, Deputy Production Manager at the National Theatre

Please click here to read the Shakespeare Schools Festival review of the BMS production of Romeo and Juliet.

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!

Sister Act

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

An Ideal Husband

Beauty and the Beast

Our House

Me and My Girl

Dance!