The Hallifordian - 2016-2017

13 ‘How in the world can Year 8 perform Shakespeare? More importantly how will I make this entertaining for the parents?’ This was my major concern when I inherited the Shakespeare Extravaganza in September. As the new drama teacher it seemed like an impossibly huge mountain to scale. However, I was blessed from the start by having such a dedi- cated and talented team of students who made the entire event both memorable and worthwhile. Our audience was treated to scenes from Hamlet , Much ado about Nothing and Julius Caesar . This was an evening of murder, love and betrayal. In fact, all the ele- ments that make Shakespeare fun and appealing. Everyone performed beautifully. Naturally, there were some standout performances from Barney Mather, Matthew Turley and Chris Jones who managed to capture their characters perfectly and perform with passion. Well done boys! The death of Caesar, played by Ralph Greenwood, was a particular highlight with the boys in 8L. It is a scene filled with plotting and of course the eventual assassination of Caesar. This group spent a lot of time rehearsing this section of the play and managed to get it perfectly choreographed for the final performances. Behind the scenes there was just as much drama as on stage! We had tears, sickness and some very nervous young men. All of this passed instantly the second our dedicated ac- tors stepped on stage. It’s no easy task and for that I person- ally commend the Year 8. As with any show there were a few last minute changes but one that sticks out for me was Shakespeare Extravaganza 2016 The death of Caesar. Theo Rowsell as Gertrude in Hamlet. Owen Morris in Julius Caesar.