At this years’ Shakespeare School Festival All Saints' Academy were proud to present their largest cast ever with 24 outstanding students taking to the stage in a performance of Merchant of Venice.
The company worked tirelessly over 5 short weeks producing a performance that was playful, witty and original. Under the direction of Rachel Burton, the whole cast was on stage for the duration of the performance, creating walls, towers, portraits, gondolas and bridges in order to bring Venice to the stage.
The cast did workshops on the themes of moneylending, interfaith relationships, arranged marriage, revenge and concealed identity to create a performance that brought the often challenging text and themes to life in a way that was accessible and entertaining for all ages. The company successfully performed at the Roses Theatre on the 12th of November and then to 300 students on the 20th November.
Mrs Burton said that she was proud and privileged to meet and work with the students for the first time.
Mrs Edgar, Communications and PR Manager said ‘the production really was a joy to watch. Mr Aitchison, Mrs Austin and Mrs Burton ran so many extra workshops after school and in the holidays to make sure the production was the best it possibly could be and it really paid off. The students really were a credit to All Saints’ and I can’t wait for their next production – The Little Shop of Horrors. The arts is such an important part of a child's development and this last year has seen a massive rise in participation with our Academy choir performing at a number of prestigious events and our drama & dance department holding many productions.'
Julia Obrebska, 14 said ‘It was really fun to take part in the Merchant of Venice play. It gave me experience of working with a variety of people from year 7 – year 13. I enjoyed having the chance to perform and show off my acting skills whilst also developing them further. Having the opportunity to perform in a professional theatre at The Roses was fantastic.’
