Shakespeare for Schools Festival is the UKs largest youth drama project with over 13, 000 students from 658 schools performing in 2010. Every school takes an abridged Shakespeare play and performs it in a professional theatre on the same night as three other schools. This year is the festival's tenth anniversary and Swanmore College of Technology took to the stage, at The Point Theatre in Eastleigh on Friday 5th November, with their interpretation of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
The cast - a group of Year 10 and Year 11 pupils – had a fantastic day and a brilliant experience. They arrived at the Theatre at 9am for a Technical rehearsal and a Dress rehearsal. Having previously only performed and rehearsed in a drama room at Swanmore, transferring to the theatre was a big task. Pupils found they had to project and use their voices a lot more than when at School. All pupils rose to the challenge however, and left the Theatre at lunch time well prepared for their evening performance.
 Swanmore College of Technology were asked to perform last in the evening which meant the pupils had the opportunity to observe two other performances by local schools.
They enjoyed a physical and dark interpretation of Macbeth, and Othello performed as a pantomime.
Then it was Swanmore’s turn and what a way to end the evening. All pupils rose to the occasion and produced sublime performances.The cast were congratulated for their ensemble playing, their well paced performances and their clear storytelling.
Congratulations for the cast were effusive as seen below:
‘Swanmore were the stars of the show – they all shone!’
‘The brilliance of the creation was surpassed only by the amazing delivery’
‘…each individual and all team effort was so evidently directed towards the audience and our entertainment and with great polish.’
‘Swanmore had to be our favourite…The production included a great deal more colour than the others with the costumes, and music … and dance as well as demanding the actors’ clear and well-directed use of the dialogue.’
‘A very rounded piece that was set in the American Wild West; Oberon was an Indian chief with Titania his squaw; the fairies/spirits Indian braves; the labourers were hill-billies; and the humans residents of the frontier town of Athens! Who would have thought that Shakespeare could meet “Rawhide”? and the totem poles were inspired!’
All pupils had a fantastic time and very much enjoyed their experience. It was a performance to remember and really does show that the oddest things can happen while you're sleeping… |
