An atmospheric and engaging performance by a leading children’s theatre company has helped Year 9 develop their understanding of Macbeth – one of their set texts for this year.
QE Head of English Susannah Sweetman said seeing the live performance by the Globe Players had further enhanced the appeal to the boys of one of Shakespeare's darkest works.
A perennial favourite, Macbeth is a powerful exploration of themes of ambition, corruption, fate and free will, kingship and tyranny which still resonate to this day. Set in Scotland, the play dramatises the corrosive psychological and political effects produced when evil is chosen as a way to fulfil the ambition for power.
“Part of its enduring popularity, particularly amongst school children, are the well-known theatre superstitions surrounding the play,” said Ms Sweetman. “The legend that the show is cursed and that it is even unlucky to mention the play’s name during a production definitely appeals to that age group.
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“The performance was theatrically captivating and brought life to the themes Year 9 have been studying this term. There were sinister moments, when the eerie voices of the prophetic witches could be heard offstage, building tension in the audience by creating a darkly dramatic impact. An experience such as this is ideal at this stage as part of the boys’ preparation for GCSE," Ms Sweetman added.
The Globe Players have been bringing affordable, professional live theatre, to school children for more than 50 years across London and the South East.