De Aston students speak out on Shakespeare

Students from Market Rasen's De Aston School have taken to the West End stage after reaching the national final of this year's Performing Shakespeare competition.
Ellie Cole and Anna Mottram, who made it through to the final 20.Ellie Cole and Anna Mottram, who made it through to the final 20.
Ellie Cole and Anna Mottram, who made it through to the final 20.

Five students from years 7 and 8 travelled to London for the event, organised by the English Speaking Union, at the Wyndham Theatre in Leicester Square.

Ellie Cole and Anna Mottram made it through to the last 20 in the country for their duologue of Juliet and the Nurse from Romeo and Juliet.

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They were credited for their use of physical theatre, enunciation and for a strong understanding of the extract they performed.

De Aston’s Head of English, Sarah Peacock said: “They (Ellie and Anna) were very disappointed not to win the national final, but it must be commended that they made it through to the last 20 in the entire country.

“The trip was a real success, not only because of the girls’ achievements but due to the fact many of the students we took down to London had never been there before and one had never even been on a train before.

“As a result, seeing their faces in awe and them exclaiming ‘this is the best day of my life!’ was a real reminder of just how rewarding our jobs are.

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“Not only do we get to work with exceptional young people, but we also get to give them opportunities like this.”

The Performing Shakespeare competition sees students submit a short video of themselves performing a monologue or duologue from any of Shakespeare’s texts.

All students receive feedback and the best entries are sent forward to the regional finals, where they perform live.