The Year 13 A level English Literature classes set off from school at 6.30am on Friday 3 April for another one of the English department’s marathon 22 hour round trips. This time we were heading to Stratford-upon-Avon to see the Shakespeare A2 set text, the haunting ‘The Winter’s Tale’.
Just as in January, we were lucky with the traffic and arrived in Stratford in time to look around the Courtyard theatre and book shop, whilst bumping in to several of the cast on their way to a last minute rehearsal.
A short walk followed to Holy Trinity church – the scene of Shakespeare’s baptism and burial. As always the simplicity of the grave of the greatest writer of all time was most affecting, and even the church’s guide commented on the respect and awe shown by the pupils and their touching reluctance to leave the grave side.
A slightly longer walk followed to Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Henley Street, where we were fortunate to be the first group through the door to see the new interactive exhibition ‘Shakespeare: Life, Love and Legacy’, featuring an edition of the First Folio and Shakespeare’s signet ring, as well as walking through the room where the Bard was born.
In the garden of the Birthplace we were treated to soliloquies read by RSC actors and never to be outdone, Joseph Purcell from Year 13, delivered one of Leontes’ speeches to the fascinated tourists and received a well deserved round of applause.
A delicious meal at Café Pasta later we were back to the beautiful Courtyard theatre where we sat outside overlooking the river and famous people spotting!
The long day ended with the much anticipated production of ‘The Winter’s Tale’, and we most certainly were not disappointed!
If ever there was a play suited to the last days of Lent, then this is it. It is a play laced with sin, forgiveness, redemption and second chances; repellent in Leontes’ destructive jealousy and moving in Hermione’s patient suffering. The last scene brought inevitable misty eyes from the audience, and just as in ‘An Inspector Calls’, there were mesmeric directorial moments.
The day and the term ended back in Durham at 3.30am. Just like the play, the day had a haunting quality to it. Theatre at its best has a power to move and change us; the chance to see one of Shakespeare’s most beautifully painful plays in his home town was an experience I am sure that will long in all our memories.
‘If I was forced to save one Shakespeare play, I think my hand would hover over ‘Hamlet’ and ‘King Lear’ before finally opting for ‘The Winter’s Tale’.
                  Charles Spencer, ‘The Daily Telegraph’

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