The bus was bubbling with excited Y10 and Y11 English students eagerly anticipating Woodham’s first theatre trip since Covid.
On Tuesday 8th November, 52 Woodham students went to watch J.B. Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’ at Newcastle Theatre Royal, a play that students are studying as part of their GCSE Literature course.
An Inspector Calls tells the story of a pre-war middle class family celebrating the engagement of their daughter Sheila to the son of Lord and Lady Croft’s son Gerald. An inspector unexpectedly interrupts their evening and raises the question for the characters and the audience – do we want to live in a society where there is collective responsibility or where those who need help simply suffer?
The lively interpretation of the play had the audience hooked with gasps at the pyrotechnics, staging and laughing at some well-executed one-liners from the actors on stage. Students were keen to discuss the performance on the way home and there were lots of theories about the ambiguous ending.
The theatre trip was part of the department’s vision to show students other worlds and help them to be able to express their world to others. For some of the students it was the first time that they had been to the theatre and after hearing their rave reviews on the way home, it will not be their last!
Mrs I’Anson, Head of English, said, “It was such a lovely experience for staff and students and one that we believe will not only help students with their understanding of a text that we study, but also an opportunity for them to see what going to the theatre is all about. Students were immaculately behaved throughout the whole trip, making their parents, the community and the school very proud. I’m looking forward to organising our next theatre trip.”