The year has begun in style with thirteen students from all three year groups enjoying an intimate night with Jude Law (as Henry V) at the Noel Coward Theatre in London from premium front row seats booked many months in advance! Steady rain did not deter our brave theatregoers from a lengthy but ultimately rewarding wait at the Stage Door, which resulted in brief but memorable exchanges with the star and more than a few signed programmes.
Those of the group who are studying Theatre as part of their IB Diploma were also able to express their appreciation of less globally well-known but equally brilliant supporting cast members such as the wonderful character actor Ron Cook (Mr Selfridge, Chocolat, Little Dorrit), new comer Ben Lloyd-Hughes who also won hearts as the Dauphin and Ashley Zhangazha who played a very approachable modern mix of the Chorus and Boy.
As well as this, the IB15 Theatre students enjoyed an exciting morning at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s costume collection in Stratford as they began the process of costuming our upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which will be performed on the 11th and 12th of March. Additionally, the IB2 Theatre students were honoured by a visit from Oxford University’s Visiting Professor of Japanese Theatre, Professer Reiko Yanamaka who kindly shared with us her quite staggering expertise in Noh and Kyogen theatre.
“Professor Yanamaka was so generous with her time and had clearly spent time preparing resources for us” said Gledis Shahu.
“Reiko is such an expert,” added Aza Pak, “And also left me with lots of other resources for my personal research into Japanese Bunraku Puppet Theatre.”
