SCHOOL NEWS: Brushing up their Shakespeare at Greenfylde

TWENTY-THREE children from Greenfylde First School in Ilminster could be budding thespians of the future after experiencing the Shakespeare School’s Festival.

As part of the National Pupil Premium award won last year, the children have been rehearsing and preparing to take part in the festival – a charity which brings Shakespeare to school children across the country.

Scripts are adapted to be about 30 minutes long, but the children are expected to use the language The Bard wrote himself!

The Greenfylde children decided to perform The Tempest, one of his last plays, which begins with a powerful storm, conjured by an even more powerful wizard called Prospero.

The play involves plots to capture, escape, marry and even murder! The children practised at school and got to go to the Brewhouse Theatre in Taunton to rehearse and perform on a professional stage.

Greenfylde headteacher Clare Oaten said: “They were all completely at home on that stage and performed brilliantly, remembering actions and complicated words as well as tricky dance sequences and were well supported by our drama lead teacher Sian Sainsbury.

“At the end of the performance, which we shared with other schools, the Shakespeare festival co-ordinaries congratulated Greenfylde School and announced that they think we were one of the youngest casts ever to take part  with an average age of eight!

“It really was an experience never to be forgotten!”

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Greenfylde First School.

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