The English department’s annual trip to Stratford-upon-Avon saw a group of enthusiastic Year 12 students immerse themselves in the world-famous birthplace of Shakespeare. The visit coincided with Shakespeare’s birthday and the group was treated to fantastic weather alongside the typical array of Shakespeare-themed delights. The students began the trip with a scavenger hunt (won by Izzie, Esme, Natlie and Charles) around the town, looking out for key sites such as the Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare is buried, Shakespeare’s Schoolroom, and the Shakespeare Memorial Fountain. This was followed by a trip to the theatre in the evening to see Henry V at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
The next day took in a fantastic lecture at the birthplace trust by Dr Nick Walton on King Lear, the work which students will study in Year 13. The group left with a clear understanding of the play’s key narrative elements, with a particularly impactful discussion of Lear’s moving lamenting ‘never, never, never, never, never’ over Cordelia’s death. The trip was rounded off with a visit to The Bard’s birthplace, where Hilal, Izzie, Natalie, Charles and English Teacher Mr Wilcox put on an impromptu performance of Gloucester’s eye-gouging scene on the courtyard stage, and finally a relaxing stroll around Shakespeare’s gardens in The New Place.
