Primary Schools Shakespeare Festival 

Wells Cathedral Junior School hosted a Primary Schools Shakespeare Festival in mid-October involving pupils from four local primary schools, as well as pupils from Wells Junior School.

Pupils from Stoberry Park School, Catcott Primary School, Chewton Mendip Primary School and Butleigh Church of England Primary School joined two classes of Year 6 pupils from Wells to perform half hour versions of six of Shakespeare’s most well loved plays: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing and The Comedy of Errors, over two evenings on 10th and 11th October. 

Each Autumn nearly 30,000 young people from primary, secondary and special schools across the country unite in the world’s largest youth drama festival. Months of preparation culminate in exhilarating performance evenings; using the unique power of performance to develop self esteem, articulacy, literacy and teamwork.

Wells hosted a workshop run by local Shakespeare practitioners for teachers and directors in early September; and full technical and dress rehearsals for each play took place over the half day before the evening performance to family and friends in Cedars Hall.

The rehearsal days and performances were a resounding success and Wells looks forward to further festivals in the future.