William Brookes School Blog

Once again, our Year 11 leavers turn on the style and take to the red carpet. Here’s a little look at how some of them found their way to the event.

Didn’t we do well !

If dress rehearsals are anything to go by, it looks like the audience for William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew are in for a bit of a treat.

Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased on the night - Wednesday 3rd at 7.30 p.m. and Thursday 4th at 7.30 p.m.

Prices are £5, £4 concessions.

These two Year 11 students danced to say “Au revoir” to their fellow class mates on Friday, May 22nd.  The short piece was one of many performances and speeches to celebrate five years at William Brookes.

Some of our students will meet again for exams: many will return as Sixth Formers, but just about everyone will be at the Prom on June 26th.  Watch this space for the red carpet exposé.

AS Level Theatre Studies students have been busy rehearsing a performance of Joan Littlewood’s ’Oh, What a Lovely War!

This William Brookes stage adaptation of the famous musical sees all of the cast dressed in Pierrot style costumes.

The show forms part of their studies and is being staged at the Edge  Thursday 15th, Friday 16th and Saturday 17th January.

Oh, What A Lovely War!
Performed By the Year 11 Drama Group
It was clear from the moment that I sat down that Oh, What a Lovely War! was a very prolific play. Its subject matter is, of course, very touchy to some people, as it attempts to satirise war on a whole by depicting certain aspects of World War One. In particular, the incompetent leadership skills of the generals at the time and the blind willingness of certain soldiers to race into a hail of machine-gun fire. The term “Lions led by Donkeys” was a key point of this play and it showed clearly that this was not a “straight laced” play.
Written in 1963 by Joan Littlewood it shows the incompetence of the generals in charge of the different forces of the First World War and how their disregard for life and focus on money led to millions of soldiers being needlessly killed. With its use of music hall songs and Brechtian acting it was a revolutionary play to be performed for its time.
The actors performed the play with much flair especially in the good execution of multi-roling and the projections that were used to great extent. The one criticism I have of the play is that the songs seemed a little under rehearsed but aside from this the acting stood out.
I would recommend anyone to see this play, when it’s performed, if they are interested in World War One or history in general.

By Tom Jennings, Year 12