Aiming to put the school on the map for the Performing Arts

Chiswick School students have been busy rehearsing for their performance of Othello as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival on Thursday 28th November at the Exchange Theatre in Twickenham.

Shakespeare's Othello is a story of jealousy, power, military protocol, violence and ultimately tragedy. It is the first production directed by the new Performing Arts Community Coordinator and Head of Drama, Mr Robinson, who has 15 years of experience producing performances for the festival. Mr Robinson was Pearson's Teacher of the Year in 2018 and aims to put Chiswick School’s Performing Arts on the map.

The cast have been working for 6 weeks to prepare for their performance and are dressed in black shirts with red armbands, echoing military uniforms and the theme of power in the play. The pupils have embraced the language of Shakespeare and made it their own, focusing on allowing the tale and the characters to tell the story. The production is performed with the use of music and movement, which creates a modern and fresh feel and allowed the pupils to experience a new style of theatre.

Othello is a very dark play; its themes and narrative are challenging to a modern audience. This production focuses on what happens when soldiers are betrayed and the consequences of losing face in a world determined by protocol.

Mr Robinson, Director and Head of Drama said, "The decision to do Othello was easy. I wanted to produce, as my first production at the school, something that was serious and real. It would have been easy to choose 'Midsummer' or 'Much Ado' however, to get these students to really focus on performing something so difficult and have them not just enjoying it but also understanding it, is a pleasure. They have really risen to the challenge and have made it very much their own."

Mrs Ellener, Headteacher, is very proud of the pupils who perform so brilliantly, 'At Chiswick School we are committed to an academic curriculum and fostering a love of the Arts. This is a wonderful opportunity for the pupils to experience performing in a professional theatre and the production is outstanding.”

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November 15, 2019