Double, Double Toil and Trouble – Macbeth Comes to Longhill
Around 150 Year 11 students took part in the Brighton Shakespeare Company’s Macbeth workshop last week. The 2-hour workshop aimed to inspire and motivate the students and help to deepen their understanding and knowledge of this enduring story.
They used practical exercises, such as still image and narration, to explore key moments in the play; they tried to delve into the minds of the main characters to understand their motivations and agendas; they explored key speeches and their meanings as well as looking at the different text styles and language used in the play.
The workshop also provided a great opportunity for students to see the mechanics of the process of how a theatre company puts on a production, followed by a chance to see the play itself being performed.
After their hard work in the workshop, the students were able to watch the play live onstage at St Nicholas’ Church in Brighton. As the oldest church in the City, it provided an atmospheric backdrop for the bloodthirsty tale of murder, ruthlessness and treachery that is Macbeth.
Year 11 student Harry told us, “The workshop was really useful – I understand a lot more about what’s going on in the characters minds now.” He added, “Seeing the play in the church was great – being in such an old building really gave it a spooky feel.”
