Inspiring Shakespeare workshops

The girls from Years 4 to 6 took part in workshops based on the Shakespeare plays they are currently studying.

Prep 4 girls were delighted by the magical element within A Midsummer Night’s Dream and particularly enjoyed enacting the scene where Bottom is transformed into a donkey! Prep 5 pupils were whisked away to Verona and explored the emotions of the two feuding families in Romeo and Juliet. The enthusiasm and energy was boundless and all the pupils engaged with avid interest. They participated in stage-awareness games, preparing a freeze-frame of a particular scene from the play, a dramatic soliloquy enactment and even a hip-hop rap song retelling the story of Romeo and Juliet in modern ‘street’ language.

Prep 6 girls never mentioned the name of the Scottish play, but investigated the power of the witches over the tragic figure of Macbeth. They took turns in role-playing the parts of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth and recreated famous scenes.

All the classes learned about the iambic pentameter and explored some of the language Shakespeare created, learning about phrases which he invented and are still in use today. Great fun was had by all particularly when freeze-framing scenes of their choice and from reading a character’s feelings. The morning’s workshops were a huge success and will lodge in the memories of the girls, hopefully inspiring their future studies of Shakespeare.

Report and picture contributed by Farlington.