Aufführungen
Shakespeare, love and a gorilla
by Tamara Attlesey-Fostier •
The White Horse Theatre, which has been presenting its plays at the Willy Brandt comprehensive school in Kerpen for many years now, came to our school twice this year (in February and in June).
The White Horse Theatre, which has been presenting its plays at the Willy Brandt comprehensive school in Kerpen for many years now, came to our school twice this year (in February and in June).
In February they helped us understand Shakespeare’s Othello better – despite the Shakespearian English – because of their very good and expressive acting. Pupils told me that they had really understood the story, which has also got something to do with our school because it is about racism against black people in former times and the Willy Brandt comprehensive school is a ̔ school against racism ̓ now.
In June the actors mesmorized us with a very surprising ending (the girlfriends rejected their boyfriends) and fighting scenes, which the male pupils apreciated very much, in their juvenile adaptation of Two Gentlemen. It was also about friendship, relationships and love – themes which youngsters especially like. A girl in our class told me that she was very impressed by the presentation and that she would love to see more plays in English.
The second play presented in June was Billy’s friend, where a gorilla was a boy’s friend because his parents were very brutal towards him and he needed support. The gorilla defended him against his parents and finally the parents accepted the new, unusual friend. The public was particularly caught by the actor with gorilla attributes like fur or a gorilla voice. The younger ones always like to be part of the play, so they were very enthousiastic about the gorilla hiding from Billy in the assembly hall among the spectators.
The White Horse Theatre always knows very well how to win pupils for theatre in English and their brilliant actors as well as the strategies to capture the spectators worked well once more.
We are looking forward to taking part in new adventures! See you again next year!