Lower Sixth Visit RSC, Stratford Upon Avon

At the beginning of the week, the Lower Sixth Drama pupils (and our mascot Quackspeare) set out in the pouring rain to Stratford-upon-Avon, ready to immerse themselves in the world of Shakespeare; and they were not disappointed! Starting with a workshop on King Lear, the group got to grips with the challenging text and explored the importance of gesture and physicality on stage. They came away with a much better understanding of the play ahead of their study of it next half term.

Then came a tour of the costume department at the RSC, which was a real highlight of the trip:

“We really enjoyed the costume tour at the RSC, [seeing] the way they make historically accurate and modern costumes alike. The RSC is one of the last theatres in the UK that makes all of their own costumes, and as costume is an often-overlooked part of theatre, it was nice to see the process of costume-making and preservation at such close proximity.”

After the tour (and my unsuccessful attempts at pilfering some beautiful Tudor dresses for our own costume cupboards…) we visited the Play’s the Thing exhibition, where we finally got to try some of those pieces of costume on…! Some of us even trod the boards and had a go at playing Hamlet, whilst others read up on the history of the theatre, marvelling at some of the names that have passed through it.

In the evening, we sat in the Gods for a preview performance of Othello. Despite the challenge of being unfamiliar with the story and text, “We all ended up being really immersed in Othello, enthralled by the choral elements of the play, classic Shakespearean performances and the simplistic beauty of the set.” The performance sparked many conversations on the journey back to the hostel, with questions around female agency in Shakespearean plays and the best way to stage a death being at the forefront!

After a mostly restful night’s sleep (and only 1 or 2 Tik Tok videos being made in the communal lounge…!) we ended our trip to Stratford the following day, at Shakespeare’s birthplace. The history of the building was not lost on us as we walked over the same stones William himself would have stepped on, wondering if one day any of our homes would be worth preserving for the same reason…? Who knows! We finished with a trip to the gift shop and left with a set of King Lear postcards as mementos.

Driving back to Caterham we all rode the high of a culturally enriching few days, ending the trip with an enthusiastic sing-along of ‘Love is an Open Door’ from Frozen. Not quite a Shakespearean sonnet, but I think he’d have approved none the less.

Miss Guttner

Director of Drama