Students at Kingsbury Green Academy in Calne were given a powerful insight into one of literature’s most famous plays as a touring theatre company brought a live performance of Macbeth into school.
Actors from Box Clever Theatre Company visited the Academy on 16 April to perform a specially adapted version of the play for Year 10 and Year 11 students as part of their English studies.
The one-hour performance, delivered across two sessions, offered a modernised and accessible take on Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, helping students to engage more deeply with the text they are studying in class.
Following the performances, students took part in 30-minute interactive workshops, where the actors encouraged them to explore the play’s themes, meanings and stagecraft. The sessions provided valuable insight into both the narrative and the techniques used to bring it to life.
The production also included an element of audience participation, with three students invited to take part by reciting lines during the performance. Actors interacted with the wider audience throughout, helping to keep students fully engaged from start to finish.
Amanda Jazrawy, Director of English, said, “This is part of our English curriculum and is a great way to bring Shakespeare alive and to keep him relevant today.
“With professional actors coming into our school and interacting with the students as part of the play, it really helps them to understand Macbeth – it truly lifts Shakespeare’s words off the page.
“It’s also good for those studying drama – knowing how to act, just using a few props, in the middle of a school hall. Being able to fire up the imagination of the audience with very little staging is a real skill.
“The work Box Clever do is so valuable for us all.”
The visit is part of Kingsbury Green Academy’s ongoing commitment to enriching the curriculum through engaging, real-world experiences that inspire students and deepen their understanding of key subjects.
