BUDDING young thespians from Stratford schools are being invited to tread the boards at the town’s Swan Theatre.
The RSC’s Education’s Stratford Schools Performance Festival will see performing arts students from Stratford College acting as young directors to some 300 pupils from town primary and secondary schools.
The project is part of a bid to welcome local children into the RSC’s theatres as part of the Shakespeare anniversary celebrations.
The youngsters will create ten five minute pieces of theatre based on extracts from Shakespeare’s Henry IV Parts I & II and Henry V.
They swill then perform their finished scenes as part of two special performances on the Swan stage next Thursday (October 16).
RSC Director of Education, Jacqui O’Hanlon, said: “The RSC has a 130 year history of making theatre in Stratford.
“As well as being a national and international company, we are the local theatre company for our school community and this project is a really exciting opportunity for us to share our stages with the children and young people who live here. “Stratford is a very special place to grow up in, and we very much want people who live and go to school here to feel a part of what we do and to take pride in Shakespeare’s legacy.”
Hayley, a performing arts student at Stratford College, and one of the student-directors involved in the project, is looking forward to teh challenge.
The 17-year-old said: “To be given the opportunity to work with such enthusiastic young people and the RSC, no less, is a fantastic experience that doesn’t happen every day.”
The primary schools taking part include St Gregorys, The Willows, Bridgetown, Thomas Jolyffe, Alveston, Bishopton, together with Welcombe Hills, KES, Stratford Grammar, and Stratford School.
Visit www.rsc.org.uk/education for further details.
