Bournville School Macbeth show: It was ‘double double, toil and trouble’ for GCSE students at Bournville School, as they were treated to a professional performance of Macbeth in the school hall.
Every Year 10 and 11 student at the school, which is part of the respected Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust, had the chance to see ‘the Scottish play’ brought to life by talented actors from travelling theatre company Katch 22.
The performance aimed to help students better understand Macbeth, which is a GCSE set text.
Associate Assistant Principal for English, Kieran Walpole, explained: “We know many of our pupils will never get the opportunity to go to a theatre. Whenever we run school trips, it’s difficult to take every student we would like to – for example, on our recent trip to the Globe Theatre in London, we were only able to take one year group.
“We had already worked with Katch 22, as they visited Bournville last year to perform An Inspector Calls, another GCSE text. The response from students was very positive.
“When we found out the company was touring again, this time offering Macbeth, we were excited to get involved.”
Three actors from Katch 22 visited Bournville, each playing multiple character roles and performing some of the most memorable scenes from the Shakespeare tragedy.
Mr Walpole said: “The students were really well-behaved, and made the most of this unique experience.
“Seeing live drama in action is great for their cultural capital, as well as their understanding of the play as a whole. Seeing Shakespeare performed is a different experience to just reading it.
“It helps the students visualise the story and remember the quotes they need in a more personal way – something which I’m sure they will take into their exams with them.”