Heritage Pupils Experience Shakespeare Live at the ADC Theatre

Last week, Heritage pupils in Years 6–10 enjoyed an exciting trip to the ADC Theatre in Cambridge to watch The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare. The performance was specially arranged for Heritage pupils during the school day and offered a wonderful opportunity to experience Shakespeare performed live on stage.

The lively and imaginative production, brought to Cambridge by the European Theatre Group, transformed Shakespeare’s classic farce into a fast-paced spectacle, complete with energetic costumes, comic misunderstandings, dramatic fight scenes and plenty of laughter. Set in the enchanting coastal town of Ephesus, the story follows two sets of twins separated in childhood, whose unexpected reunion leads to escalating confusion and chaos.

The pupils were exemplary throughout the performance, listening attentively and responding enthusiastically. Their excellent representation of the school made such a strong impression that the theatre has already offered to host exclusive daytime Shakespeare performances for Heritage pupils in the future.

Shakespeare plays a central role in the Heritage curriculum. From Years 6 to 8, pupils read and perform Shakespeare each year: Year 6 pupils are currently studying A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Year 7 have recently completed Romeo and Juliet and will soon begin Julius Caesar, and Year 8 performed The Tempest during the Autumn Term. Seeing a professional production helps pupils deepen their understanding of Shakespeare’s language, humour and dramatic structure, complementing the immersive approach taken in lessons.

The visit also allowed pupils to experience the historic ADC Theatre, the oldest university playhouse in the country and a vibrant centre of Cambridge’s theatre community.