Merchant Taylors’ Pupils Shine at Alderley Edge Festival

A group of 22 pupils from Years 7 to 10 took to the stage at the Alderley Edge Festival last weekend, delivering outstanding performances across a variety of drama categories including Monologues, Duologues, Shakespearean Text, and Acting Through Song.

The annual festival, known for attracting some of the region’s most promising young performers, proved a fitting platform for our pupils to demonstrate their talent, creativity, and commitment to the performing arts. Across the two-day event, Merchant Taylors’ pupils secured a remarkable series of results:

Trophy Winners

Acting Through Song – 1st Place: April

Acting Without Words – 1st Place: Jaspa, Caleb, Maxi, and Matthew

Duologue – 1st Place: Matthew and Isaac

Shakespearean Text – 1st Place: Emily

Certificate Winners

Acting Through Song – 2nd Place: Isaac

Monologue (Year 10 and above) – 2nd Place: Hope

Prose Reading – 2nd Place: Sujaani

Duologue – 3rd Place: Will and James

Acting Through Song – 3rd Place: Tani and James

Duologue – 3rd Place: Tilly and Freya

Several pupils were also invited to perform at the festival’s Saturday evening finale, a showcase reserved for standout performances from across all schools. Isaac, Jaspa, Maxi, Matthew, and Caleb represented the school in the final event, attending alongside their families.

In a fitting conclusion to a memorable weekend, Merchant Taylors’ were awarded the William Roache Cup for Outstanding Drama Performance, recognising the most impressive collective contribution to drama across the entire festival – one of the event’s highest honours.

Reflecting on the success, Miss Blundell, Head of Drama, said:

“I am incredibly proud of every pupil who took part. Their creativity, dedication, and support for one another truly stood out across the weekend. To come away with such a fantastic set of results and to win the William Roache Cup is a testament to their talent and teamwork.”

These results reflect not only the dedication of the pupils involved, but also the strength of drama teaching and co-curricular provision at Merchant Taylors’. We congratulate all participants on their achievements and thank them for representing the school with such skill and enthusiasm.