OKEHAMPTON Castle will serve as the ideal backdrop for a performance of Macbeth by Okehampton College students later this month. On Thursday, June 16, at 7pm, two drama GCSE groups from Okehampton College will perform the Shakespearean tragedy at the castle. The young people have been studying the play, and public performance will make up part of their assessment for GCSE drama exams next year. Teacher Harriet Davis said she came up with the idea driving home from work one day as she passed the castle. The two groups of around 25 students, will each perform their own abridged version of the play in different parts of the castle?s grounds. The students are also taking part, along with other colleges, in the BBC Shakespeare Festival at the Northcott Theatre, in Exeter on July 3. The Exeter event is just one of many taking place across the UK on the same day, to celebrate the Bard?s work. ?The kids hate Shakespeare when we start it, but by the end they love it, they are such good stories,? Mrs Davis said. She said she had helped groups perform Shakespeare in many different settings over the years, but this was the first time, she had staged Shakespeare outdoors, and she was looking forward to it. English Heritage said they were increasingly working with schools, to allow young people to make use of the historic environment for educational purposes. The ticket price of £5 will include an individual picnic so the audience can enjoy food and drink while watching the two versions of the play. Tickets are available from the front office at the school.
