THE PARISH SCHOOLS

MAGNIFICENT MACBETH

Wowed by Shakespeare!

On the 7th & 8th of July 2005 the primary school children of Berry Pomeroy performed Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” to full houses in the parish church. The parish church, which has removed pews and installed new heating together with portable staging and lighting made an ideal venue.

The audience on both nights were wowed by the professionalism of the production. Head teacher and the play’s producer and director, Hugh Edwards, must be mightily proud that his cohort of children and team of teachers and other helpers could reach such amazing heights of achievement. The presentation was strengthened by brilliant choice of music and songs and costumes produced to professional standards.

The children’s pace was perfect and unhurried, the choreography spell-binding! The humour was spot on and managed to leave the audience with side splitting moments without detracting from the sombre dramatic moments.

It was truly amazing to see the range of talents brought to bear from artistic and craft work on the oversized witches, through the delightful music to the atmospheric lighting. The production would have not been out of place in a larger town but to see such a small village achieve so much is a great cause for celebration.

Of particular note was the way the play involved all the children in an active way – no one reduced to playing a large boulder! Here was inclusive education at its best.

The principal players were all a joy to behold but of all the cast my favourites were the baby faced assassins – especially when one of their prospective victims murmured that it looked like rain – and they responded in the darkest of London gangster accents “it’s worse than rain!”

The school have gone from strength to strength in their dramatic endeavours and this summer will see a production of Treasure Island – keep your diaries free now!