The Show Must Go On

The Shows Must Go On

Emilia

For the first three months of 2021, pupils in Years 10 and 11 produced a rehearsed reading of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s groundbreaking, Olivier Award-winning play ‘Emilia’. In April, they shared this with audiences over Zoom. ‘Emilia’ tells the tale of Emilia Bassano. Though much of her story has been erased from history, Emilia is thought to be the ‘Dark Lady’ of Shakespeare’s sonnets. However, she was so much more than just the Bard’s muse and this play seeks to bring to light her untold story. A woman of North African descent, Emilia transcended the prejudices of the 16th and 17th centuries. Though she was betrayed, abandoned and spurned by those she loved, and grieved the loss of a child, she dedicated herself to caring for the most vulnerable in society and produced a prodigious amount of verse to champion the cause of women at a time when it was not fashionable to do so. In their introduction to Act One, the girls said: “Our exploration of this play has led us to wonder whether times have changed all that much. There can be no doubt that some of the sentiments expressed here resonate with us today. Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s play has troubled, challenged and inspired us in equal measure.’ The cast also faced the challenge of putting together a performance under the restrictions of Covid. Though they had a brief spell in school before Christmas, much of the rehearsal process was interrupted by lockdown and had to take place online. When pupils finally returned to school, a combination of in-person and Zoom rehearsals became essential. The cast tackled unforeseen absences with aplomb. The girls never lost their enthusiasm and were willing to go the extra mile to share Emilia’s story. The performance was streamed online across two nights: the first act aired on the day of Shakespeare’s birth and death, 23 April, with the second act following the day after. The cast and crew in School are particularly grateful to Mr Harris, a Technical Director and Online Specialist who volunteered his services, expertise and countless hours to arrange the recordings of the performance so that parents and friends could enjoy ‘Emilia’ despite Covid restrictions.

The 2020-21 programme of drama productions was unfortunately affected by the pandemic. Shackled by Covid-19 in terms of delivering a standard play and inviting a live audience into school, the Girls’ Division was still determined to come up with creative and

Parr for the Course

Performing Shakespeare

In September 2020, three casts were chosen from Years 7, 8 and 9 to allow girls to rehearse while maintaining year group bubbles. All three recordings were released simultaneously on YouTube in December. Miss Talbot said: “We are proud of the students involved. They sustained a positive attitude throughout the process even during periods of self-isolation, when it was necessary to access rehearsals remotely for weeks at a time. During the final stages of the process and the recording sessions, the cast and crew worked with extraordinary levels of focus, commitment and maturity to master the material as well as the new technologies at play.

Girls enjoyed plenty of success at the English Speaking Union’s Performing Shakespeare Competition in 2021. Sadly the conclusion of the 2020 competition was cancelled due to Covid, so in addition to the Years 7-9 competition there was a legacy contest for Year 10 students. adaptive ways to perform. Miss Talbot organised two productions: a radio drama in the autumn term, followed by a rehearsed reading in May which was shared on Zoom.

‘‘Parr for the Course’ charts the rise and fall and rise again of women’s football over the past 100 years. As members of Bolton School Girls’ Division, we were inspired by the lives and legacies of the Dick, Kerr Ladies - a munitions factory team based in Preston. We would know very little about this extraordinary team if it wasn’t for the pioneering work of Gail Newsham, author of ‘In A League of their Own’. We are very grateful for her fascinating account, which has proved a touchstone throughout the planning and rehearsal process.” Girls also enjoyed an exclusive webinar with Belinda Scarlett, Curator of Women’s Football at the National Football Museum, which increased their understanding of the history of women’s football.

In the Years 7-9 Regional Final, Eva Hurst and Du’a Qedwai achieved third and fourth place and received Judges’ Commendations. In the Year 10 Regional Final, all of the Girls’ Division entries were selected to go through to the Grand Final: Lola Rigby, Charlie Lowe and Safa Karim went on to perform their speeches live over Zoom for a panel of judges. The panel heartily congratulated all of the competitors. Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Education at the Royal Shakespeare Company, commended Charlie Lowe for her sensitive and joyful portrayal of Helena from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespearean Studies at the University of Oxford, also commended Lola Rigby for her standout performance. However, it was Safa Karim who won the sole runner up award for her highly nuanced characterisation of Phebe from ‘As You Like It’!