Super Shakespeare on the Lawn from Year 9 as they Perform ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’

Following weeks (and weekends!) of preparation and rehearsing, this year’s Shakespeare on the Lawn was performed in School on Tuesday and Wednesday evening this week; those of you who gathered on the Chapel lawn with picnics, blankets and chairs will undoubtedly agree that the performances were nothing short of superb – and a real and absolute delight.

The glorious set, props, costumes, hair and make-up transported our audiences back to the 1950s, for Year 9’s performances of Love’s Labour’s Lost. The jolly and frivolous music and dancing that introduced the play and the characters, had everyone tapping their toes, nodding their heads and smiling from ear to ear (including everyone on stage!) – as we met our characters and the comedy unfolded.

For those of you unfamiliar with this particular play from Shakespeare, we followed four young men – one of them being the King of Navarre – as they embarked on a three year oath of study, abstaining from all distractions, particularly those of the female kind. However, those plans slowly but surely begin to unravel as the Princess of France and her ladies make their way to Navarre’s court.

The ladies arrive and suffice to say, the men fall in love with them – and what follows is (not so) secret admiration and a lot of confusion over correspondence sent by each of the characters to the other – which would be all well and good had the letters been received by the intended recipient. However, the gentlemen agree to tear up the oath and woo the women, but this is easier said than done as the women play games on them to confuse and muddle, and that they do!

This game of love continues, until the Princess of France receives news of her father’s death, this in turn sees her decide she must return to France. Panicked at the thought of the ladies leaving, the men declare their love – the ladies declare that they will return after a year and if their love is still true – and if they have completed certain tasks for them in that time – they shall marry.

This simple tale of love and foolishness, was performed under the trees on the Chapel Lawn, and as the warmth of the day receded and the breeze increased to everyone’s delight (for it had been an incredibly hot last few days), the ‘stage’ came alive on opening night, as carefully placed props and lighting, along with the undoubted talent and enthusiasm of our young actors, came to life, as did the story.

It was clear how much hard work and commitment had gone into the performances, our Year 9 students were word perfect, nothing missed, in fact everything was incredibly well performed and delighted the audiences throughout. Ripples of laughter were sprinkled throughout the performances, exactly where they were intended to be, and it really felt like a partnership rather than a performance – our audience engaged and intrigued as to what might happen next.

No matter where they might be sat on the lawn, there was something to watch from every angle, as our students used the entire lawn to perform whether that be on the main stage under the trees, or behind our audience as they prepared to enter stage left or right; if felt rather like Shakespeare in the round at times, which just added to the delight of the performances.

Every student, no matter what part they played, on or off the stage, gave their absolute all – and they certainly looked like they thoroughly enjoyed themselves too; they were confident, calm, happy and looked as though they loved every second as much as those watching.

With bicycles, boats, dart boards and even beards, the stage came to life from start to finish, encapsulating not just everything about the play, but about those taking part.

From the choreographed dance scenes and perfect lighting enhancing different parts of the play and stage, to the comedy and brilliant sarcasm, Year 9 portrayed Shakespeare’s story to captive audiences, and they did so perfectly – they didn’t put a foot wrong, an admirable achievement given the complexities of not only the language but the intricate plot of the play. They did themselves and our School incredibly proud, and the roaring applause were testament to that.

We’d like to thank everyone for coming along to see Love’s Labour’s Lost, as well as our talented and supportive Drama department; alongside the work the students had clearly invested in every second of their performances, it’s clear how much time, hard work and support has gone into helping Year 9 to bring this play to life in the way that they did.

We hope everyone who came along enjoyed themselves, and that you also had the chance to pick up unique merchandise for this year’s show, produced by our Design students; as well as creating the beautiful and unique programme, they also conceived, designed and produced mugs, magnets and coasters – keepsakes from a really super evening.

We’re always incredibly proud of our students, and this week has been no exception. Our audience was filled with the delighted faces of family, friends, staff and OWs, and it was wonderful to share Year 9’s performance together.