In December, Bolton School put on a very special Joint Production of ‘The Glorious Chickmans’: a newly commissioned play, written as part of the Write the Girl initiative.
Write the Girl was founded by Miss Sophie Torrent, Director of Drama at Lady Eleanor Holles School. It partners aspiring theatre makers with industry professionals, encouraging schools to commission established playwrights to produce plays which tell a meaningful story and provide students with opportunities to play substantial and significant female parts.
Bolton School joined the programme in 2024 and commissioned playwright Ben Cain to craft the School’s Write the Girl production: ‘The Glorious Chickmans’. Besides playwrighting, Ben works as a creative engagement practitioner, co-creating theatre and exploring creative arts with young people. He has previously collaborated with Bolton School students on two previous Joint Productions, ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ and ‘Twelfth Night’, and through the Creatives Now Saturday Socials programme. Recently, Ben’s extensive playwrighting experience has garnered attention from the Royal Court.
‘The Glorious Chickmans’ is a comedy set once upon a time - a long, long time ago - in a faraway land. The wonderful (if ever-so-slightly weird) inhabitants of a rural idyll called the Middle of Nowhere have their sense of right and wrong challenged when Aldawig Chickman sets out to sell eggs. This has never been attempted before as it was forbidden by the elders. Clever Aldawig and her warm-hearted sister, Brinda, go on an adventure to secure a future for themselves as egg empresarios. For a time, it seems as though the invidious nature of capitalism will overwhelm the good people of Nowhere. Indeed, Aldawig and all who follow her learn many important lessons. Order is restored when Brinda helps Aldawig to understand that while “we can do it all … we don’t need to own it all”.
The production was a huge success, running in the Boys’ Division Great Hall from 3 to 5 December 2025.
55 students in Years 7 to 13 from both Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions were involved in putting on ‘The Glorious Chickmans’. While most appeared as members of the cast, students also managed technical elements such as lighting, set and props, costume, hair and make-up. They were delighted to perform in front of large and supportive audiences.
All were thrilled to host Miss Torrent who came from Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton to watch the last night of the run.
Bolton School’s involvement with the Write the Girl programme proved a thoroughly worthwhile experience for all involved. Samuel, Year 7, played Timmy and explains, “I had an amazing time on the set of The Glorious Chickmans … being cast in the play enriched my first term at Bolton School. Being called to rehearsals was always a treat, and from the moment we started blocking the scenes, I knew I was going to have a lot of fun.”
Chloe, in Year 8, played the lead role. At first, she found Aldawig to be a challenging character, but explained: “After a while I started to get the hang of it and it became quite amusing to pretend to be bossy. I made many friends during my time in the production and most I still talk to a lot, especially Olivia, who played my sister, Brinda. Nearer to the show, I hurt my ankle and struggled to walk around. I was so lucky to have the support of my peers who helped me through. They got me up and going again for the show nights, which went extremely well, if I do say so myself! I am so grateful to have been able to have this amazing experience and would definitely do it again.”
Tabitha, Year 10, believes her experiences of playing Blanche will boost her chances of academic success by providing her with innovative ideas to explore in her GCSE drama devising piece. She said: “It inspired me to add comedic elements to my extract after learning how effectively they worked in our production, which would not have crossed my mind before. The play also helped my group task skills, working together as a team and incorporating others’ ideas, as well as my own.”
Ali, an A Level student from the Boys’ Division, played Grand Elder Gator in ‘The Glorious Chickmans’. Out of school, he attends the arts collective Creatives Now. He said his involvement with the Write the Girl programme allowed him to develop skills which he believes will support him in the work place. Ali remembers the production: “It ended up being much harder than I expected and taught me the importance of organisation and teamwork. I know these skills will help me out with future endeavours. The whole process was challenging, and when it came to the final product, I couldn’t help but smile at the production we worked on. It was incredibly rewarding.”
More photos from ‘The Glorious Chickmans’:
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