Bergvliet Primary School’s unique collaboration with
Helen O’Grady Drama Academy to mark 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
Children from Bergvliet Primary School in Cape Town performed in a Shakespeare Festival to mark the bard’s 400th anniversary of his
death in April.
Learners from the school performed three of Shakespeare
famous plays, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ‘Macbeth’,
using a variety of different stage techniques and settings to show how
Shakespeare’s plays are relevant today as they were 400 year’s ago when he
died.
Using mask trains students to use gesture and voice in Macbeth
Celebrating it’s 20th year in Cape Town, the Helen O’Grady
has been at the forefront of bringing Shakespeare to schools through drama in
Cape Town, with over 3,000 children taught per week.
Principal of the Helen O’Grady Drama
Academy, Duncan Rice, explains, "The idea is to bring Shakespeare to life in schools by
performance! The early we start, the better their understanding will be when
they reach high school. No longer do we have the boring tedious study of text
in class but we now act it out as William Shakespeare intended in a vibrant,
dynamic way."
“We have found that Primary School children, particularly, can
love and appreciate Shakespeare's great works too.”
At Bergvliet Primary School in Cape Town, where the Helen
O’Grady Drama Academy runs its international drama programme, the children get
the opportunity for a public performance of Shakespeare each year. Here
you can see them in action on the stage.
Romeo and Juliet in traditional style
Gone are those days of trying to decipher Shakespeare
by reading the text behind a desk in class. The only way to fully
understand the plots, the themes and the language of Shakespeare is to feel and
be part of the action.
The Helen O’Grady Shakespeare plays are shortened versions
of the original text, written in a mixture of modern and Shakespeare’s original
language to make the transition to understanding far easier. Through this
children gain a love for English literature and some of the tougher aspects of
studying Shakespeare’s play, particularly when they have to write about
the intricacies of the plays themselves later on in their school career.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
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