Pupils tell spellbinding tale of Macbeth
Young thespians from an independent prep school in Liphook have put on another spellbinding performance on the stage.
The occasion was a stunning performance of Macbeth by Year 7 pupils at in Crawley on Tuesday as part of a project run by the Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation.
Last year, Highfield and Brookham was named a ‘Gold Shakespeare School’ for performing Bard plays publicly for seven consecutive years as part of the initiative, with last year’s year 7s taking on the classic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at G Live in Guildford, so there were big shoes to fill for the next year group. But the current year 7 children proved once again that they have a real penchant for the Bard’s work by putting on another polished adaptation in the impressive 900-seater auditorium in West Sussex.
The adaptation was all put together in just six weeks under the expert guidance of Sarah Baird, Head of Drama at Highfield and Brookham with the dedicated children using every spare minute they could find, including break times and lunchtimes, to learn lines and rehearse to bring the characters of Macbeth, Banquo, Macduff, Lady Macbeth and Malcolm to life in stunning style on the Hawth stage.
There was also plenty of technical nous and expertise required by pupils backstage to portray the eerie and iconic opening scene with the three witches, and to help with the atmospheric portrayal of the Scottish castles at the heart of the gripping tale.
Furthermore, the talented children performed in front of proud Head, Suzannah Cryer, who described watching the play unfold as 'mesmerising'. She added: '
To watch the children perform on a big stage like the Hawth with such ease, confidence and passion was nothing short of incredible for such young people. The work that went in to produce such an extraordinary performance of Macbeth on stage and behind the scenes is truly remarkable and I couldn’t be prouder.'
Highfield and Brookham has a strong reputation of dramatic excellence and the school prides itself on each of its 10 year groups performing at least once during the school year, culminating in Year 8 taking to the stage for the final time in July, last year with a spectacular performance of Bugsy Malone.
December 2024