Sixth Form Have Critical Eye on The Tempest

On Thursday 23 January, Upper Sixth pupils studying A Level English saw Jamie Lloyd’s production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, which has attracted much media attention for its stripped back aesthetic and decision to eschew the magic demanded by the play. This was an excellent opportunity for pupils to see the play they are studying in performance and use Lloyd’s strikingly original interpretation as a discussion point in their essays. Pupils both enjoyed the performance and approached it with a critical eye. Afterwards, they wrote up perceptive theatre reviews of the play and fiercely debated how they’d produce the play themselves. Certainly, amongst this intelligent and assertive group, this trip will burn brightly when they look back on their school days.