By Mr Stratton (Director of Drama and Dance)

The Drama department was thrilled to stage the first Shakespeare in Spring performances this week. Year 6 students performed four abridged versions of the Bard’s most beloved plays: Richard III; The Tempest; A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Julius Caesar. The captivating renditions took place in the picturesque Junior School Gardens, where an eager audience of over two-hundred parents, grandparents, staff, and, wonderfully, their friends, gathered. The event was a huge success and feedback has been wholly positive - one quote from a grandparent stands out “Excellent performance by all children involved. There are some real stars in the making. We really enjoyed the evening. Well done to everyone involved.”

The performance was made even more enjoyable by exceptional weather gracing us as the students performed in the beautiful Junior School gardens. The department and I are so proud of the amazing students for their incredible work.

Mrs Horton (Drama teacher) said: “I was so impressed with the effort and commitment Year 6 put into their Shakespeare in Spring performances. The pupils have learnt so much about how to put on a production: from learning lines; creating an engaging character; balancing the stage and applying performance skills so the audience can always see and hear you! They also demonstrated their ability to work collaboratively as an ensemble; taking ownership over the development of a production and working with peers and staff effectively.
Year 6 have really enjoyed working on this project and they should be so proud of what they have achieved.”

Miss Elsom (Drama and Theatre Events technician) reflected: “It’s been an exciting opportunity to be working with our Junior School students and staff to create such a wonderful and inclusive event, in the beautiful surroundings of the Junior School Gardens. As a sound technician the elements are always against you in an outdoor venue, but the Year 6 casts have worked really hard on their projection and their characterisation to deliver these challenging abridged versions of Shakespeare classics. The experience they have gained during this process is invaluable and only builds their confidence and skills for when they will move up to Year 7 and start performing in our Studio Theatre.” 

Miss Middleton (Theatre Design Technician) added: “It is always exciting to work on Shakespeare plays and this time was no exception; from creating a gruesome severed head for Richard III to fabricating donkey ears and nose for A Midsummer Night's Dream! Shakespeare's works are rich in complexity and the challenge of creating the visual elements for students to work with was one I really relished. It was wonderful to see the students truly enjoying the process of staging a play and I hope that they all continue to involve themselves in acting, prop making, costume.” 

View photos from the rehearsals here. 

The last Drama performance of this academic year is Peer. Performance dates: Thursday 6th, Friday 7th and Saturday 8th July 2023. Tickets are priced at £9 and £4 for students, purchase here.