English trip to Stratford

Girls from L5-U6 enjoyed a cultural pilgrimage to Stratford-upon-Avon during half-term, deepening their appreciation of Shakespeare’s life and work.

They visited his birthplace and also New Place where he and his family lived in later life, as well as enjoying a drama workshop and an illuminating backstage tour at the Royal Shakespeare Company, featuring fake blood, severed heads and wigs galore!

The real highlight of the trip, however, was seeing two fantastic RSC productions in the intimate setting of The Swan Theatre: Juliet Gilkes Romero’s powerful new play ‘The Whip’, which told the story of men and women campaigning for the abolition of slavery and the compromises necessary to achieve this, and a thrillingly-exciting production of one of Shakespeare’s least-performed history plays, ‘King John’, with sets, costumes and music updating the play to the 1960s as well as bringing out contemporary resonances in Shakespeare’s writing.

Head of English Mr Stephen Dilley said: “We had a wonderful time and are looking forward to returning to Stratford-upon-Avon soon!”