Dulwich school pupils get to see the classics at the iconic Globe Theatre
By Regina Motalib, Local Democracy Reporter
Teachers at a secondary school have given their stamp of approval to the Globe Theatre’s ‘Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank’ initiative.
The scheme which marks its 16th anniversary provides 20,000 free tickets for students to a special production of Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
Kingsdale Foundation School in West Dulwich is one of the schools that have applied for free tickets. The school lists Macbeth as one of Shakespeare’s texts, on its GCSE English curriculum.
Gemma Smith, director of English at the school in Alleyn Park, said: “Giving students access to live Shakespeare productions is essential to help bring these challenging texts to life.
“Not only does this help them to appreciate the cultural capital of the Bard in a way that cannot be achieved in the classroom, but it helps bring a level of understanding to the text that can only be achieved through watching a live performance, as the plays were intended.
“This will undoubtedly help their study of the play as part of the Key Stage 4 curriculum and their subsequent GCSE grades.”
This year’s production of Macbeth has been described by The Globe Theatre as a full-scale, gripping, 90- minute production. It has been created specifically for young people and is a perfect introduction to Shakespeare for all ages and stages.
Playing Shakespeare is supported by Deutsche Bank as part of Born to Be – a youth engagement programme committed to helping young people reach their full potential.
The play’s director Sarah Frankcom said: “I’m thrilled to be collaborating with such an exciting cast and creative team to reimagine Macbeth for younger audiences.
“As young people continue to ask big questions about their future, I can’t think of a better play to explore how personal ambition and the abuse of power can corrupt the individual and destroy nations.”
As well as providing free tickets, schools will also receive other resources to support their pupils.
These include free workshops for students, free CPD (continuing professional development) for teachers, and award-winning free online resources to support the teaching and studying of Shakespeare plays in the GCSE and A-Level curriculum.
The theatre’s co-director of education, Lucy Cuthbertson said: “A significant proportion of young people in this country rely entirely on their schools for access to the arts.”
Productions exclusively for schools will run from March 3 to 30 and public performances from March 12 to April 16.
Eligible schools can apply for the tickets via The Globe Theatre website: https://www.shakespearesglobe.com
Tickets for public performances can be purchased from The Globe Theatre box office and online.
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