Allerton Grange Students appear in the Shakespeare

Schools Festival -  Mon 8th Nov 2010

Playing to a packed house, Allerton Grange students took the spookiest version of MacBeth imaginable to the Carriageworks Theatre on Monday evening where they performed alongside three other schools from across Yorkshire in the Shakespeare Schools Festival.

 Grotesque witches led us through a version that made the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.  A talented group of youngsters from this Arts College ably supported an outstanding Macbeth and his Lady in Liam Murphy and Alice Downham. Parents in the audience spoke of the play’s ‘brilliantly dark feel’ and loved the costumes and the skill of the three young musicians who added so much to the atmosphere. One parent said “I just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the performance. The play had a brilliantly  dark feel to it, helped by the costumes, and music. I was gripped and wanted more! It's a shame that the pupils couldn't perform it one more time. They outshone the rest.

The director and head of Drama at Allerton Grange, Mr Ceri Jones, brought a whole new approach to a much-loved play. The production involved students from Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 and were one of 4 schools performing a 30 minute Shakespeare play on the night. at the Carriageworks Theatre.

Allerton Grange produced  a dynamic vision of Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedy, which marked the first collaboration of the Arts subjects since their recognition as a Specialist Arts College, with costumes created by the staff and students of the Technology department, and the whole production driven by an original soundtrack played live on stage by GCSE Music students.

 “The only bad bit was when it ended!” - Student, Dolphin School

"This charity has done more than anybody to jazz up the once-dreary curricular approach to our greatest playwright."* - *Libby Purves, *The Times*

'Congratulations' from the Shakespeare Schools Festival, Coordinator........

Sent by email. 19th Nov 2010

Hi Ceri,

I just wanted to write and congratulate you on your students’excellent performance of Macbeth at the Leeds Carriageworks last week! I am sorry I could not write sooner, and sorry too that I couldn’t attend the performance personally. Unfortunately we have many SSF performances taking place simultaneously, but I got a great report from Mark France, the Venue Director, who was very impressed with your performance.

I just wanted to pass on a few of his comments, which I think really highlight the achievements of your cast.  Mark felt that this was a dynamic and visually striking performance, in which the whole cast worked together to create rich, atmospheric scenes on stage.

Mark was very impressed with the ability of the company to tell the story throughout the piece with images and movement, and he particularly enjoyed the battle scene at the end of the play, which he said was very well staged.

Mark said that the cast showed a good understanding of the text, and coped well with Shakepeare’s language. Finally, he mentioned the live band, which added a whole new dimension to the play and enriched the drama taking place.

I hope your students enjoyed taking part in the festival and are pleased with their achievement – please pass on my compliments to them.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank you for the brilliant work you’ve done in preparing your students for the festival. I know it’s a huge amount of work in terms of both administration and rehearsing the play, but it sounds like the results were worth it, so thank you for everything you did to make it happen.

I hope after a well deserved rest you might consider taking part again next year – if so sign up starts in January so let’s touch base then.

Best wishes and well done everybody!

Annie

Annie Hughes

Festival Coordinator

Shakespeare Schools Festival

 

Page last updated 19th Nov 2010