Gifted and Talented English - Production of King Lear
By Ricky, Editor-in-Chief and Joseph, Sub-Editor
A select group of Year 9 students were specially chosen to watch the Royal Shakespeare Company’s live screening of King Lear, on the 9th February. The experience contained several established actors including Paapa Essiedu, Nia Gwynne and Antony Sher and the acting and entertainment levels were simply superb.
Every year, the Royal Shakespeare Company organises a live screening that can be viewed by schools across the country. This screening is organised every year to introduce and teach children about the plays and works of Shakespeare.
As we watched the play, we thought about links between the story of King Lear and the current day, as well as the profiles of the characters and how setting and use of props were used for effect in the play. Before, and on the day, we completed a booklet on the play, in which we expressed our opinions on the questions above as well as others such as “how does the division of the kingdom in King Lear relate to the division in politics in the current day”.
King Lear is the story of an old king who entrusts his three daughters with power. He asks the girls who loves him the most. The first two, Goneril and Regan, praise him highly, but the third, Cordelia, refuses to play this sick game. King Lear is enraged and he banishes Cordelia as well as the Earl of Kent. Cordelia goes to live with the King of France. Goneril and Regan refuse to house Lear and his knights, and he is left walking in the paddy fields during a storm with his jester and “Caius” who is actually Kent in disguise. Lear is slowly losing his mind.
The Earl of Gloucester has two sons, Edgar and Edmund, the second of which is illegitimate. He begins to plot against Gloucester and Edgar and the latter is forced to escape. Gloucester remains loyal to the king but is captured by Regan and her husband, and Gloucester’s his eyes are gouged out. A French invasion force arrives in Dover, but they lose to Goneril and Regan’s forces. Cordelia is beheaded and Lear dies of a broken heart. Edgar fights Edmund and the latter dies due to a stab wound. Goneril poisons Regan and then dies herself. Edgar takes over the kingdom.
The experience was not only to experience a Shakespearean plan with its unique language and structural techniques, but we also learnt to make links with the play and the current day. Personally, we really enjoyed the opportunity to watch the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of King Lear and it really enabled us to expand my English language and terminology, as well as our open-mindedness towards middle English and the language of Shakespeare.
Cameron in Year 9, who was watching the production said “I really enjoyed the King Lear production, I think the story was well portrayed through lighting, acting and other ways, and I also believe it has enhanced my English skills, especially in accordance to Shakespeare’s work and similar from that time period.”
Mr English (English teacher) added, “I thought that the King Lear production was an excellent interpretation of Shakespeare’s play. I particularly enjoyed the RSC’s subtle staging, especially using a bright white background to suggest the literal and metaphorical blinding of both Lear and Gloucester. Overall, I thought it was a highly enjoyable day that provided a great deal of entertainment.”