I am very excited to announce that we now have a Shakespeare Drama Club at John Colet School. Open to 5th and 6th classes, via audition, the club accepts only twenty talented young students. As part of the Shakespeare Club, the students will be competing in National Competitions such as Northern Beaches and Sydney City Eisteddfods with other performances to be announced.
As a drama teacher, I have been teaching young performers for over fifteen years, both within my own private performing arts School (Brightsparks Performing Arts School) as well at various high schools and of course the wonderful John Colet School. When I was first appointed as the Shakespeare director, more than seven years ago, I was struck by the high level of performance achievement and was in awe of what the teachers had accomplished with students who were so young. Bringing Shakespeare into the Primary curriculum continues to inspire me. I am passionate about showing how successful it is, to the wider community. When I teach Shakespeare at high schools, I am always saddened by how little the students understand of the wonderful plots and characters, the rich language and the universal themes, which occupy the world of Shakespeare. John Colet students are given a unique opportunity to grasp that world, the way Shakespeare intended, through performance. With such an array of talented students at John Colet, and with no lack of enthusiasm, we decided that it was time to bring John Colet students out into the public arena.
Undoubtedly, it was difficult narrowing down the many auditioned students to just 20, as all who turned up were prepared, committed and ready to perform their best. It is with this in mind that I would like to say thank you to all the students who auditioned, you made my job very difficult! To those who were successful, I am looking forward to working closely with you to produce what I am sure will be some wonderful Shakespeare scenes. Teaching drama is something I thoroughly enjoy, but teaching Shakespeare is my passion. I am thrilled to be sharing it with the John Colet students and can’t wait to begin!
‘We know what we are but know not what we may be’
William Shakespeare
