On the darkened walls of the Betws staircases, the faded photographs of past Dulwich Prep alumni decorate the walls. The more eagle-eyed observer may find their eyes falling on a photograph of the Dulwich College Preparatory School Staff circa 1910. It is an image that holds an enigma that has baffled many for years: the mystery of ‘The Nameless Teacher’.
In the Summer term, the corridors and classrooms of DPL will be filled with the story of ‘The Nameless Teacher’ in a brand new drama performance entitled The Elysium Theory. It is a production that is breaking new ground for the Prep. An original piece of theatre (devised by the members of the DPL Dead Poets Society), it takes place not on a single stage, but in various venues within the school itself. Audience members will be invited to travel with the action, as it moves across the school grounds – they will get to mingle amongst the characters, move through the scenes, feel the very breath of the story on their skin as it unfurls around them.
Running in the penultimate week of the Summer Term, The Elysium Theory is a tale of wild ambition, lust for power and, ultimately, the darkness that can emerge from such desires.
In the words of the play itself: ‘When man takes hold of power, power takes hold of the man’.