Show to mark 400 years of Steyning Grammar School

Steyning Grammar School in collaboration with The Steyning Festival will be hosting a show, ‘Carvings, Corridors and Timbres’, created by former Steyning student, Alex Packer, with his newly founded theatre company, Mini Mall.

It will be performed around the Church Street site using actor-musicianship, physical theatre and interactive storytelling.

A combination of live music, spoken word and songs will immerse the audience into stories from the past - tracking the school from 1614 up to 2014.

Alex Packer was a student at Steyning Grammar School from 1999 to 2006. He went on to study acting at Rose Bruford College where he attained a first class honours degree.

In 2013 he formed Mini Mall, a theatre company making actor-musician theatre.

Mini Mall’s first show was Tiny Tempest which premiered at the Brighton Fringe before transferring to The Pleasance Theatre in London. It then ran at The Brighton Dome alongside a school’s tour including a performance at Steyning Grammar School.

Alex has also worked on the previous two school productions ‘13’ and ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at Steyning.

The cast of the show will be made up of current students at the school and professional performers - some of whom are former students at Steyning themselves.

The school has been celebrating its landmark year with a series of events that honour the school’s prestigious history, stemming back to the 17th century.

In 1614, William Holland, a wealthy merchant from Steyning left funds in his will for the foundation and maintenance of a Free Grammar School and all lessons took place in Brotherhood Hall, Steyning.

In 1968, the Secondary Modern school on the Shooting Field site was added and the school became one of the largest comprehensive schools in the country.

Steyning Grammar School has been responsible for the education of hundreds of thousands of girls and boys and the school’s boarding house now accommodates students from all over the world. In 2014 the school invites all past and present students, staff and members of the community to celebrate 400 years of excellence and commemorate the school.

The school is working very closely with the Steyning Festival, which has embraced the occasion into the 2014 festival. For details on all events visit www.sgs.uk.net/SGS-400

‘Carvings, Corridors and Timbres’ by Mini Mall will be showing on Saturday (May 24) at 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 6pm, and Sunday (May 25) at 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 6pm. The event will be held at Steyning Grammar School, Lower School Reception, Church Street, Steyning. Tickets are £12/£10, book online at www.steyningfestival.co.uk or call the box office on (01903) 812062.