Drama
Macbeth.mp4In drama, children are encouraged to express themselves. The giving of a stunning performance, the mastery of oneself and the expression of oneself through a performance are all deeply memorable experiences that remain with children forever. Children develop confidence and learn the vital skills of collaboration and communication, resourcefulness, responsibility, rigor, resilience and risk taking. We utilise the collective imagination of the children and share and develop ideas, ending up with performances that are full of physical and visual energy and go far beyond the words on a page.
Each year, supported by the head of drama at St. John's College School, Cambridge, our Year 6 pupils take part in the Shakespeare School's Festival, performing at a professional theatre. To date, our plays have included Macbeth, A Midsummer's Night Dream, Twelfth Night and The Tempest.
2022 audience feedback:
I feel compelled to get in touch and let you know just how talented your year 6 pupils are!
I was transfixed by the absolutely stunning performances in The Tempest. I have five children and have sat through what I imagine is over 100 performances over the years, so I consider myself to be something of an expert audience member, and I can categorically say that I have never seen so many talented children in one production. I realise it wasn't a competition, but Gislingham won HANDS DOWN. Every part was played with such confidence, inhabiting the character with no hint of self awareness, all words were clearly delivered, slowly and with feeling as if they totally understood exactly what it meant. It was truly remarkable. I really hope they are justifiably proud of themselves and that they know how rare it is to be able to do what they did. Please pass on my congratulations to them.
Gislingham Primary Appraisal.pdfThe Tempest (2022) Performance Appraisal