Dalton school given honour of performing Shakespeare play in his hometown

31 students aged between 11 and 15 from Dowdales School in Dalton, have travelled to the market town of Stratford-Upon-Avon to show their take on A Midsummer Night's Dream .

The performance has been organised in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, who have invited 53 schools from across the UK to appear on stage as part of a 12-day festival to celebrate the life of the poet 400 years after his death.

Laura Waddington, who is head of performing arts at the school and has put together the production, said: "The kids have been amazing to work with. Any Shakespeare text is a tough one to get to grips with but they have been an absolute pleasure to teach.

"It's so valuable seeing students being creative and coming up with ideas for themselves. Some might think it's not relevant to learn Shakespeare's plays anymore but the language is beautiful and it's important that we keep his work alive through our own interpretations."

Patrick King, 14, from Kirkby, who plays the role of Snug in the play, said: "I liked having the chance to change people's perspective of Shakespeare.

"Everyone thinks it is really boring and difficult but I like making it easy to understand and I like how our school does it. Also it's helped me become more confident in myself."

As well as casting main characters from the hit comedy play, Mrs Waddington also allowed pupils to play emotions and atmospheres to get their creative juices flowing.

She added: "We take an ensemble approach so that everyone gets involved. They could represent a conscience, the weather or a mood, but it ensures that everyone is involved in some way and there are always at least 30 kids on stage.

"It's nice to get all ages included because they inspire the young ones coming through. They are a very talented bunch of students and hopefully these experiences will make them consider a career in the arts."

The students have been rehearsing for their moment in the spotlight since March and have been given the honour of staging the final performance of the night at the Dell Theatre on Wednesday.

Melissa Evans, 14, from Dalton, who plays Quince, said: "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. A lot of people are starting to feel the pressure but I'm just raring to perform."

What is A Midsummer Night's Dream about?

Celebrated as Shakespeare's most popular comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream (written in 1594 or 1595) follows four young lovers who run away to the woods of Athens. Their adventures lead them to meet a group of amateur actors who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies in the forest.

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