Treading the Boards in the Shakespeare Schools Festival 2024
19 November 2024 - All
Wycombe Abbey has been participating in the Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival for many years and is proud to have achieved ‘gold medal’ status, reflecting our commitment to the foundation. Shakespeare Schools is a cultural education charity that builds youth confidence and life skills through the performance of Shakespeare. Its annual UK-wide youth drama festival, the world’s largest, engages thousands of pupils from diverse backgrounds. Months of preparation culminate in performances in professional theatres, aiming to enhance teamwork and self-esteem. The foundation values ambition, creativity, experiential learning, inclusivity, and transformation through performance. Our production of Twelfth Night was showcased as part of an evening of theatre alongside Hamlet from The Beaconsfield School and A Midsummer Night’s Dream from Garston Manor School. Read below what LV pupil Sophia has to say about her experience of this year’s production
‘Participating in the Shakespeare Schools Festival production of Twelfth Night has been an incredible journey. For our production, we’ve taken this classic comedy and infused it with our own modern twists and interpretations, making it uniquely our own.
A memorable highlight was our workshop with a Shakespeare Schools professional, who visited School to help refine our scenes. They offered valuable insights, taught us engaging theatre games, and helped us discover new ways to bring Shakespeare’s characters to life.
The entire experience has not only strengthened us as a cast but also deepened our appreciation for Shakespeare’s brilliance. We had the amazing opportunity to perform for three different audiences—here at School, at Cressex Community School, and at a theatre in Rickmansworth. Experimenting with the text and bringing our own vision to the stage has been exhilarating, and I highly recommend this experience to all pupils!’
Sophia
LV
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