QE’s cast and crew have been lauded for their performance in the Shakespeare Schools Festival. The event involved four local schools, who took part together in workshops before each staging an abridged version of a Shakespeare play in front of a public audience at the Arts Depot in Finchley.
Lydia Lewison, the Regional Co-ordinator for Shakespeare Schools Festival, said: “Our team really enjoyed working with the QE cast, who performed a powerful, gripping and mature production of Julius Caesar. The boys had a brilliant grasp of the language and delivered their lines with conviction and honesty.”
She also commented on the boys’ commitment to the project: “They were a pleasure to have in the theatre – so supportive of the other casts and really in tune with the festival ethos of celebration and inclusivity.”
![""]("/images/JC2.jpg")
QE was one of 700 schools that took part in the national event, which was supported by 90 professional theatres. The boys received expert help at a drama workshop at Finchley from an actor/director from the Central School of Speech and Drama. “It was a joy to see their confidence and performance levels rise,” said QE’s Drama Co-ordinator Elaine White. “They clearly relished and benefited from the professional theatre experience.”
The Shakespeare Schools Festival charity is the largest youth drama festival in the country. Its patrons include Dame Judi Dench, Kevin Spacey and Sir Tom Stoppard.