Theatrical life at Shrewsbury School is certainly something worth making a song and dance about, says Peter Middleton, Deputy Head of Co-Curricular
The performing arts have long been a valued gem within Shrewsbury School?s treasure chest, dating back to its earliest days. Indeed, the school?s very first Headmaster Thomas Ashton was passionate about theatre, producing (and even acting in) numerous plays from 1560 onwards. Such was the reputation of the Shrewsbury School plays that Queen Elizabeth I embarked on a journey to Shropshire to see one for herself, only to discover that the play had already ended!
Our reputation for theatre continues to this day and over 450 years on, performing arts remains an exciting and invigorating area of school life. Last year alone saw a myriad of performances, ranging from the junior production of All My Sons and the senior musical Cabaret, to a Classics Faculty staging of the Euripidean tragedy Medea, to a dazzling all-female production of Margaret Atwood?s drama The Penelopeaid. The latter was one of numerous House Plays, which last year included Shakespeare?s Julius Caesar and Brecht?s A Respectable Wedding. Each project is ambitious, not least because most of the House plays are student-led productions, but that is part of what makes the school theatre so exciting.
Treading the boards
While many will arrive at Shrewsbury School as experienced actors or actresses, for others, our House plays will be their first taste of treading the bo...