On Monday, September 27^th, GCSE and A Level Drama students spent the morning in a stage lighting workshop.  The workshop, run by John Watson, covered every aspect of stage lighting and included the hands-on assembly of a mini-theatre in the HMSG main hall.  Students assisted in erecting the theatre structure and in the process of doing so learned about the mechanics of backstage work.  Once the theatre was built John Watson presented a dazzling range of stage sets and lighting effects which culminated in a fully fledged re-creation of Phantom of the Opera with moving lights, mobile sets and stage haze.  The workshop provided an inspiring and informative introduction to stage lighting, an essential requirement in all Drama and Theatre Studies exam courses.  In the afternoon more specialist training on the lighting board was provided for a select group of HMSG pupils who are interested in forming the nucleus of an HMSG tech team.