On Friday 19th June the Year 12 English Literature group visited Packwood House to see a very special performance of 'Othello’ in preparation for their study of the text next year. This play was performed by ‘The Lord Chamberlain’s Men’, a group of players with royal assent to use the original name of Shakespeare’s players and who perform using only traditional methods – no special effects – no microphones – no female players. Yes, that’s right, the full cast was played by male actors. To add to the authenticity of the performance the play was performed in the open air within the beautiful grounds of Packwood House.
The performance was fantastic – bringing to life the themes of jealousy, deception and discrimination. The shocking culmination of the performance leaving the stage scattered with dead bodies felt almost real.
The weather was perfect with rain holding off and the sound of sheep bleating in the next field and birds singing in the trees around us all contributed to a very special performance.
The group are now looking forward to a potential future visit to see the same play performed in a more modern theatre so they can explore the comparison between traditional directorial and performance choices with those used in a modern theatre.
They also hope to see ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ which is their second drama text being studied as part of their course.
