Year 8 Impress with a Tempestuous Tale

This term, Year 8 pupils delighted their audience with a highly original and entertaining production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The performance featured modern costumes, a sprinkling of songs including from The Greatest Showman, and a distinctive adaptation that director Mrs Burden described as ‘darker and more strange’ than previous years.

The play’s dreamlike confusion was intentionally brought to life, with Mrs Burden preparing the audience beforehand: ‘There will, without doubt, be times when you’re not quite sure what’s going on- which is absolutely as it should be!’ The Year 8 cast delivered a superb performance, demonstrating a confidence that has grown with each year’s production. 

Bringing this Shakespearean masterpiece to life was no small feat, requiring the pupils to tackle complex text and make it clear, compelling, and alive. Mrs Burden praised them for their hard work, marveling at the sheer amount of text they memorised and delivered with passion. Reflecting on the play’s deeper meaning, she highlighted Shakespeare’s message of forgiveness: ‘Instead of darkness and despair, you have beauty and brightness—a comedy, not a tragedy. How much more beautiful the world would be if we all embraced forgiveness.’

The production also owed much of its magic to the backstage team, which included Miss Monk’s expert lighting and Mrs Lowe’s music and sound work.

Year 8’s The Tempest was a thought-provoking performance that was a pleasure to watch. As Mrs Burden said, ‘They brought the text alive, and it was wonderful!’

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