Who says Shakespeare’s dull and boring? Not 400 linccs pupils! Following on from Holy Trinity & St. Silas’s fourth annual Shakespeare project, four more primaries joined forces to celebrate the work of the Bard at Haverstock School on 28th April. Pupils from years 1 – 6 took the challenge of two of Shakespeare’s plays, ‘The Tempest’ and ‘Pericles’, and explored them in innovative and creative ways. Using blue screen film techniques Shakespeare’s England is brought alive in 2 unique films made by year 4 pupils from Richard Cobden. The richness of Shakespeare’s language echoed in performance poetry written by year 6 at Rhyl. Dance and adaptations of the plays, from Carlton and St.Michaels, intertwined to demonstrate that Shakespeare is still very much ‘alive’.
I travel swiftly through narrow gaps
Leaping hither and thither.
Leaping forward,
Spiralling sideways,
Twirling upwards -
Swirling and twirling through the air,
Twisting like a spinning top.
I bellow and howl like a wild husky,
My thunder crashing on top of the boat.
Pounding like elephants dancing,
Tormenting the evil Lords of Milan.
My laughter scares the quivering waves.
Then I swish, swirl and sway
Past the yard arm,
Swirl like an enormous blizzard.
My lightning burns,
Stabbing, slashing like a silver sword –
Clashing and bashing in battle.
As I burst the clouds, hard hail stones fall to the ground,
My raindrops sting the sails,
Rushing rain rumbles, rushing rain rumbles.
Hither and thither,
Swirling and twirling through the air
Twisting like a spinning top.
Prospero’s Spell
I call forth
Howling, blustery winds
Chaotic gusts
To blow and toss the ancient ship.
Make it twist and turn in horror.
Do my bidding
Tumbling, deafening waves
Rip and spilt the wooden frame.
Let there be
Pitch black clouds
Bedimming the golden sun.
Miserable clouds
Swamping the light.
Come hither,
Icy hailstones,
Stinging, spitting rain
To scar the faces of the Lords.
Bruise their fragile skin.
Add to this
Booming thunder to deafen their ears.
Zig zag flames to burn the sails.
Split the sky in half
Flickering, fiery sparks,
As your lightning red fingers
Gleam and flash through the sky.
Ariel's Nature
My gentle breath cools your fragile skin.
Soft, slow, smooth,
Soft, slow, smooth.
As I puff
The autumn leaves dance in my midst.
I tickle the light leaves,
They tingle and twitch.
As I pass through
They flow gently,
And trees sway side to side,
Rustling like a baby’s rattle.
I float gently,
Popping clouds with my soft breeze.
Raindrops dance
Across the midnight sky.
I glide smoothly as falling white snow,
Falling, flowing, floating,
Falling, flowing, floating.
Island Spells
Take the singing of a river
The music of the night
The whisper of the sand
The echo of the cave.
Now take the chattering from the forest.
The clicking of the crickets,
The flapping of bats,
The hooting of the owl,
A monkey’s scream.
The buzzing of the bees,
The barking of a donkey,
The clucking of chickens,
A woodpecker’s knock.
The snoring of a pig,
The eagles’ squawk,
The swishing of branches,
With the rustle of leaves.
Mix this spell from Nature,
With a ray from the sun.
Spread it near and spread it far,
A gift for everyone.
From the lightning shadow
Take a glow of a star.
From the dark blue sky
Take the cloud’s rumble,
Turn to a whisper in the air.
Melt the bee’s nectar
To make sweet honey.
Catch grasshoppers
To make green stew.
Add butterflies and spiders’ webs
To knit tree branches
Spread juicy black beetles
To carpet forest floor.
Into the magic cauldron
Stir them all together ,
With a fairy wand.
Spray beauty on this island,
Now the magic you can see.
