Bringing Shakespeare to life in the Year 8 English classroom

Year 8 students delved into the enchanting world of Shakespeare, studying the comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. They explored life in Elizabethan England, examined the hallmarks of a Shakespearean comedy, and, most importantly, uncovered the transformative power of Shakespeare’s language.

To fully appreciate the visual and verbal humor in the play, students were tasked with bringing to life the final “merry and tragical” play of Pyramus and Thisbe through performance. (For context, this is the play presented to Duke Theseus on his wedding day by a group of sixteenth-century tradespeople with little knowledge of the theatre or its workings.)

Students from diverse disciplines—dance, music, and tennis—guided by our Acting Stream students, rose to the challenge. They crafted wonderfully comic moments through innovative staging and expressive vocal choices. Highlights included debating the best way to illustrate the “chink” in the wall through which Pyramus and Thisbe converse, and perfecting the most melodramatic death scene for Pyramus. The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience, playing with Shakespeare’s language and sharing their performances with their peers.

Next term, the Year 8 students will have the exciting opportunity to watch the Senior Acting Stream’s interpretation of the play, reimagined from sixteenth-century Athens to the contemporary Australian outback.