MPS visits The Globe
The Globe Theatre - The Tempest
On Thursday 16th March 2023, Year 10 went up to the Globe Theatre in central London to see the play The Tempest. We were dressed for all weather as once in the venue you are exposed to all weather conditions - the Globe is an open air theatre. It was exciting to see Shakespeare’s play staged in the way it was intended to be watched during the Elizabethan period. This gave the year group a better contextual insight into how our GCSE text of Romeo and Juliet.
The Tempest is a mystical and magical play. It follows the story of Prospero (a wizard and the rightful Duke of Milan) and his daughter Miranda. Many years ago, Prospero was coerced to leave Italy and sent away by his brother Antonio, who stole Prospero’s dukedom from Prospero. Prospero’s magic saves him and Miranda, and both end up on a deserted island. Many years later when Prospero sees Antonio’s boat sailing past the island where he and Miranda have lived for the past 12 years in hiding, he sends his spirit and servant Ariel to cause havoc. Ariel crashes their ship and causes havoc among the ship’s passengers. Miranda falls in love with Ferdinand, son of Alonso the King of Naples when becomes stranded on the island. What follows next is a jubilant and series of difficult situations all engineered by Prospero. By the end of the play Prospero realises his wrongdoings in looking for revenge and repairs the ship with magic and returns home with the crew to Italy.
The atmosphere of the play was heightened for us through the seating arrangements. Year 10 stood in the pit and therefore were ‘groundlings’ for the ninety minute performance. The actors stood in the pit for some of their lines, causing some of the children to jump, but this made the play more interactive and enjoyable. By standing directly around the stage it made the play and the actors feel closer. The Globe is an iconic building. It was a special experience and great to go into London to see this. We are thankful to Mr Josef and the other staff involved for organising this trip.
Written by Aden and Jess 10 Mercers
