Wyedean School visits the New Theatre in Cardiff

This past October, funding from theatre works! helped GCSE students at Wyedean School attend a production of An Inspector Calls. Here is their feedback…

Last June we successfully submitted a grant to the theatre works! charity for funding to contribute towards the cost of running a theatre trip to see J. B. Priestley’s timeless classic ‘An Inspector Calls’. The application was successful so on Wednesday 19th October we met at 5.30pm in the school canteen before boarding two 53-seater coaches to Cardiff. 

'The effect of the house collapsing, along with its metaphor, provided a brilliantly put together scene'

We filled the spaces easily with 100 students, prioritising first refusal to our disadvantaged students. A combination of booking early to secure school-priced tickets and the grant allowed us to reduce the overall cost to £3.50 per student, including transport. The Leadership Team at Wyedean made the decision to cover this cost for our disadvantaged students. For some, this would be the first time they had visited a theatre, and as this is one of their set GCSE English Literature texts, the experience could not be underestimated! 

'I loved the costumes (especially the dresses), and I found the stage design really interesting in how it represented the Birling family'

The production was excellent! Every student was wowed by the intensity of the action and the magnificent set, which included several unexpected surprises. During these key moments, our students could be heard gasping and cheering and clapping, truly experiencing the best that a live performance can offer! Sharing live theatre in a packed auditorium, and watching a performance of a text they know brought it to life for them. They enjoyed the humour and sarcasm between characters, which can sometimes be missed during a classroom read. Plays are meant to be seen after all.

'I loved the bit where the house came down, the bit where the glass bottle smashed in the fight, and the Inspector's final speech.'

On return to Wyedean, I collated their viewpoints which encouraged them to reflect on what they had experienced. 83% had never visited the New Theatre in Cardiff before. All students who replied to the feedback form, felt that it was a strong performance with all students rating it 4 or 5 stars out of 5!

'It was incredible, the thought that went into it was amazing!'

When asked about their favourite moments, the staging of the production was rated highly. They loved all the parts that make a live production what is really is: the set, the costumes, the lighting and sound effects. They were particularly keen to discuss the visualised collapse of the establishment’s disintegration and the subtleties within the costumes which hinted at the play’s setting of 1912 compared to when it was written in 1945.

All students were equally positive abut how the production aided their revision for their mock exams which begin on Monday 31st October. They overwhelming felt that being able to visualise the characters, their relationships and the sequence of events was an essential part of their revision. Equally encouraging was that 87% of those who answered, felt that they would love to visit the theatre again given such an opportunity.

So, a huge thank you to theatre works! for allowing such great students to experience live theatre and capture memories that will last beyond their mock exams!