Sophie Burrows is a freelance saxophonist and singer. When Sophie joined The Perse in 2010, she quickly became acquainted with the School’s co-curriculum, spending most of her time in the music department. She was an active player and singer in many ensembles and musical productions whilst at school. After leaving The Perse, Sophie went on […]

Humphrey Jennings (1907-50) was a documentary filmmaker. His work Pandaemonium, 1660–1886: The Coming of the Machine as Seen by Contemporary Observers was the inspiration for part of the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony. After graduating from Pembroke College, Cambridge with a starred First Class degree in English, he started post-graduate study on the poet Thomas Gray, which […]

Marius Goring (1912-1998) was an actor and director. At The Perse, he obtained a higher certificate from the Oxford and Cambridge schools examination board, and went on to study abroad at universities in Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna and Paris. He then trained at the Old Vic drama school and appeared on the London stage for the […]

Theatre and film director Sir Peter Hall founded the Royal Shakespeare Company and was Director of the National Theatre for fifteen years. He was also prominent in defending public subsidy of the arts in Britain. Sir Peter, whose father was stationmaster at Whittlesford station, joined The Perse in 1941 and was made Head Boy in 1949. That year he gave […]

Cartoonist Mel Calman was the cartoonist whose perplexed little men reacted to the day’s events in Daily Express, Sunday Telegraph, Observer, Sunday Times and Times. Born in 1931, Calman left The Perse to study illustration at the Borough Polytechnic Arts School and St Martin’s School of Art. Despite setbacks, most notably from the editor of Punch magazine, […]

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, David Gilmour is best known for his work as the guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Pink Floyd. It is estimated that by 2012 the group had sold over 250 million records worldwide. In 2005, Mr Gilmour was appointed CBE for his services to music. He was awarded with […]

Kenneth is a key figure on the contemporary dance scene. He danced with the internationally acclaimed London Contemporary Dance Theatre and other leading companies during a 25 year career as a performer, choreographer, teacher and director. From September 2007 to November 2016, Kenneth headed The Place, the UK’s leading centre for contemporary dance development. As […]

Colin McFarlane is a Hollywood and television actor and voice artist. After leaving The Perse he studied Drama at Loughborough University. He has made television appearances in The Fast Show, Judge John Deed, Outlander, Jonathan Creek, Death in Paradise, Father Brown, The Thin Blue Line, M.I. High, Jeeves and Wooster and Black Books. His film work has included Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Triology where he […]

Whatley discovered his passion for theatre whilst at The Perse, and first turned his hand to directing during a school production of The Winter’s Tale. He enjoyed this experience so much that he withdrew his application to study history at Cambridge, instead enrolling on a drama degree at Royal Holloway & Bedford College. He set up […]