A group of around 95 students from Stamford School have participated in a ‘Box Clever’ Theatre event as an aid to their revision of the text Macbeth, which they are studying for their English Literature GCSE.The theatre company performed the Shakespeare play in an integrative workshop performance where the audience of students were very much involved in the story, performing roles as extras and minor speaking parts.Ms Aziz-Khan, Teacher of English at Stamford School, said: “The company took the original Shakespearean text and adapted it, retaining key quotes, whilst also using modern English; making it much more accessible for students.“The use of a witch character as the narrator also allowed students to get a more in depth understanding of the characters’ psychological makeup and motives.“Getting the students up on their feet, so that they could become part of the performance, as opposed to passive observers, was certainly a highlight which added to the enjoyment factor and assisted with students’ retention of the material.”One student in the workshop said: “The Box Clever event wasn’t what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it! With the modern English being woven into the actual play, and the actors having us jump up on stage, you didn’t know who was going to be chosen next – it was a really different and fun way of learning. I hadn’t really thought about the wider context of each quote that I was learning previously – and now I’ve realised I’ll have to do that to help me understand them a little better.”
