Dangerous Minds

Six Cranleighans took to the Speech Hall stage to showcase their ambition and their public speaking prowess, and to compete for the Henry Hunt trophy (which, incidentally, has had a fantastic makeover this year, thanks to Mr. Hill in the Design Department!).

Each year, Dangerous Minds invites Cranleighans to propose a dangerous truth or idea, and to utilise every rhetorical tool in their belt in order to convince their audience, and the judge, of its merit. The challenge is great, not only with regard to the meticulous process of crafting the speech and delivering it to a considerable crowd, but also in terms of handling sensitive and potentially controversial topics.

Brandon G., a regular competitor on the Dangerous Minds stage, turned his attention to hosting this year, and did so with characteristic aplomb; Brandon’s sense of humour and easy manner captivated the crowd, and lightened the atmosphere between each challenging eight minute speech.

Alex R. opened the show with a fascinating speech about global blood and organ shortages. Alex interrogated a model, already reflected in a proposed bill in Massachusetts, that allows incarcerated men and women to donate blood or minor organs in exchange for shorter sentences. It was an emotive speech, tackling an ethically complicated issue with grace and maturity.

Isaac T. was next, with his debut Dangerous Minds talk on the viability of borders between countries. Isaac’s argument considered historical hunger for power and land that he posits has been exacerbated by the existence of ‘imaginary lines in the sand’ as he called them, and looked towards a borderless future characterised by a global culture and unity.

Mads R. closed the first act by delivering her first Dangerous Minds speech; she questioned current narratives on women’s rights – both those of trans and cisgender women – and proposed a number of suggestions aimed at including, satisfying and protecting all women.

Before our next speech, and in a Dangerous Minds first, Molly A. took the stage for a musical interlude between speeches, delivering a moving rendition of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine.’ Then, Zoe G.returned for her second competition, this time speaking about the dangers of silence, using Marina Abramovic’s performance art as a springboard from which to explore deeper crises of human morality. She focused, in particular, on the position of women in society, and the importance of using our voices every day in order to ensure continual progress.

Our third Dangerous Minds debut of the evening was Theo D. who questioned the success of history’s great empires and governments, wondering whether the elimination of human error in leadership might make for a Utopian future. His analysis of the perfect A.I. (Or A.G.I) leader was driven by an impressive knowledge of Artificial Intelligence and its pitfalls, and a great sense of humour.

Ultimately, it was Lauren B. who took home the trophy, for her speech on the dangers of victimhood. Lauren has won the competition before, for an impassioned speech on the merits of veganism, and she approached her most recent entry with similar verve and vigour. Our esteemed judge, Monica Fisher, praised the variation in Lauren’s delivery, and her ability to capture the audience with an easy, comfortable style; Lauren’s curiosity and ambition make her a force to be reckoned with, and her speech last week was no exception, and a deserving winner!

We would like to publicly thank Monica Fisher for judging the event, and for offering feedback to each contestant. Similarly, this event would not have been possible without the efforts of our fantastical Technical Theatre and Film crews. Thank you especially to Mr. Humphreys, Mr. Jewell-Smith, Will M., Mary S., Archie L., Ben, Alexis H. And Jack D, for your commitment to putting on such a professional event!

Watch highlights from Dangerous Minds 2024

Ozzy L., 2022 winner and captivating host for 2023, began by questioning the adjective that underpins the competition itself, asking the audience what it truly means to be dangerous. He concluded that the evening would be dangerous in its propensity to challenge accepted norms, which it certainly went on to do. Last year, Mr Verdon wrote that Ozzy ‘simply belongs on a stage,’ and his words rang true this evening.

Alex R. kicked off the 2023 competition with her speech on the viability of faith and religion in today’s society, and whether or not the ‘truth’ actually matters. Alex carefully considered both the positive, and negative impacts of religion across history, wondering whether we would have fewer instances of terrorism and genocide if humans did not feel the need to appease a higher power. However, Alex concluded that faith, whether or not there really is a God at all, is a cornerstone of human goodness, and therefore the ‘truth’ is largely irrelevant.

Sophie M. came next, and intelligently championed the power of a positive mindset, and confronted the audience with the question of whether or not they have truly taken advantages of the opportunities available to them in a place like Cranleigh. Ultimately, Sophie asked her audience to approach their lives with honesty and resilience, two core traits she believes will garner a person success in life.

Brandon G. closed the first half of the evening, speaking passionately on the dangers of artificial intelligence, and deep fake technology. Brandon’s argument was thoroughly researched, and even led him to dive into the dangerous waters of AI himself, creating his own manufactured footage of Vladimir Putin. Brandon expertly guided the audience through the terrors of this new world, and warned of the personal violations we are all vulnerable to in this new era of technology.

After a short interlude, Lauren B. took the stage to defend the importance of disobedience; Lauren championed the value of original thought, and challenged the audience to think critically when presented with homogenous ‘truths.’ Lauren’s message was bold and brave, and was delivered with characteristic precision.

Our penultimate speaker, Zoe G. made her Dangerous Minds debut with zeal. Undoubtedly, Zoe’s speech provoked further discussion amongst the audience and pupils, choosing to focus on one of the most divisive and talked about figures in popular media, at the moment: Andrew Tate. Zoe’s systematic dissection of Tate’s character was done with maturity and grace; Zoe acknowledged Tate’s ubiquity and his appeal, while assertively concluding that his influence is universally a negative one. It was a truly impressive debut from such a new member of the Cranleigh community.

Finally, Charlie M. rounded off his Dangerous Minds career with a speech that questioned the very principles of the competition; he considered the tagline, eight minutes to change the world, and presented the audience with three core principles with which to achieve this ambition: love above all, dream big, and never give up. Charlie’s argument was inspired by three world changing figures, whom to Charlie embody these three lessons. From Jesus of Nazareth, to Martin Luther King Jr, to Greta Thunberg, Charlie inspired the audience with inspirational tales.

Mr Reader had the rather gruelling job of determining the winner, but ultimately decided that Charlie would take home the Henry Hunt trophy for 2023. Mr Reader noted that it was Charlie who seemed to best understand the brief of the competition, and that his speech stood out for its clever simplicity, and eloquent delivery.

This event would not have been possible without the remarkable skills of the Technical Theatre crew, and their hard work behind the scenes; thank you especially to Mr Humphreys, Ned W., Tom S., Archie L., Sam F., Teddy B. Will M. and Dom P. for their commitment to putting on such a professional and visually impressive evening. We are indebted to you!