Heritage Pupils Excel in Shakespeare Competition

During the Spring term, several pupils auditioned to participate in the ISA Shakespeare Monologue Competition; another example of the school’s commitment to Shakespearean excellence. Dr Andrew Zurcher, who adjudicated the Heritage auditions, praised the pupils for their brilliant understanding of complex texts, sensitivity to meter and voicing, and courageous theatrical choices. Selected to represent Heritage across different age groups were Charlotta (Y3), Hanna (Y6), Jane (Y6), Isabel (Y8), Honor (Y8), Kitty (Y8), Joshua (Y10), Maxim (Y10), and Toni (Y11).

Despite an unprecedented number of entries and an extremely high quality of the submissions, we are delighted that Honor and Isabel were both highly commended in the final results, with Isabel coming third in her category. Judge Charlotte Scott, from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, praised Honor’s ‘wonderful, impassioned and powerful Lady Macbeth’ and Isabel for ‘a powerful Caliban which makes a beautiful transition from his freedom to punishment and is carefully modulated through the mixed emotions of bitterness, affection and revenge.’

Ms Scott applauded each of the entries, saying that ‘The focus on the delivery of the spoken word, the children’s individual personalities in relation to those choices and the imaginative and inspiring ways in which they have reimagined or represented them has been a joy to watch. Every single entry had its own merit, and every single performance was delivered with energy, imagination, intent and skill. There are only very few awards I am able to make, but every school that takes part and delivers such exceptional teaching of Shakespeare is a credit to the arts and humanities.’