On Tuesday 7 February, I went with the other Upper VI A level English Literature students, accompanied by Dr Button and Ms Quant, to watch Frantic Assembly’s version of Shakespeare’s Othello at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London.  

Both A level classes were very much looking forward to the play and the performance did not disappoint.  The actors combined physical theatre with the story of Othello, portraying a 21st-century version of the well-known play.  Having studied this text for a year it was an unmissable opportunity to see it live. It solidified many of our ideas and gave us new perspectives that I’m sure we can take forward and use to give nuanced readings in our essays. 

Watching the actors’ interpretations of the roles provided an extremely interesting and valued opportunity to discuss our opinions and challenge what we may have thought before.  The set was intriguing, using a snooker table as a multitude of objects including a bed, a table and of course, a snooker table!  

It goes without saying that seeing performances in a theatre brings them alive and helps you to notice minute details that may have not been obvious whilst reading the text.  It was such a lovely evening: a fantastic way to revitalise one of our A-level texts and spend time with each other outside of school, watching and discussing something that we have spent so much time interpreting in the classroom.  

Siena, Upper VI