TRIPS & EXPEDITIONS
I n the Lent term, Upper School English students studying The Tempest (the last of Shakespeare’s plays written by him alone) ventured out into the snowy reaches of the South Bank, for a fun-fuelled educational outing on a day when all present truly wished that Britain’s greatest writer had chosen a theatre model with a complete roof! The day was split into several parts: a tour of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (an indoor performing space based on the Blackfriars theatre – the winter home of Shakespeare’s later plays), a talk by Dr Hunt on The Tempest , and a tour of the Globe followed by a question and answer session with a Shakespearean actor about performing the play, and finally an acting session in one of the Globe rehearsal rooms. The tour of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and the talk by Dr Hunt was enlightening, allowing us to understand the nuances possible in an indoor theatre in comparison to the Globe. The smaller enclosed space allowed for selective stage lighting, but there were also limitations that came with it: the explosive stage-effects that were used at the Globe were too dangerous and foul-smelling to be utilised at Blackfriars in front of an audience who had to pay a lot more to gain entry. The higher ticket prices, however, also allowed for a larger and more varied musical ensemble, an idea reflected in the thematic connections between music and magic in
the play. Another concept illuminated by the talk were the evolution of Shakespeare as a playwright. In comparison to his earlier works such as Romeo and Juliet , there is, in The Tempest , a much more pessimistic approach to love, with the manipulated relationship between Miranda and Ferdinand. We were then shown around the reconstructed Globe Theatre, an experience that allowed us to understand the differences between the modern and contemporary theatrical environments, and how the world of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre influenced and shaped Shakespeare’s writing. The notion of the theatre as an act of social exhibition was particularly interesting, as it explained the reasons for much of the grandeur in Shakespeare’s plays. The question and answer session with a Shakespearean actor opened up the discussion about adaptations and interpretations of Shakespeare’s original texts. To finish off the day, we participated in an acting masterclass with a second Shakespearean actor. The tasks revolved around exploring and examining Shakespeare’s texts as pieces that were designed to be performed, rather than read. Indeed, for many there, the performance of Ariel given by Mr Hawes truly encompassed Shakespeare’s desired emotional exhibition.
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