The official poster for First Encounters: King Lear.
To mark the end of HSDC’s Performing Arts Industry Week, the highly prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) took to the stage at the College for two incredible performances of the Bard’s seminal tragedy, King Lear.
This was a fantastic opportunity for HSDC’s performing arts students to witness the sheer talent and passion of the RSC firsthand. This was one of the RSC’s ‘First Encounters’ productions, a 90-minute edit of Shakespeare’s original plays in order to make it accessible for young people.
King Lear is a very complex, emotional and powerful story, yet the RSC were able to transform it into a performance of timeless relevance that resonated with everyone in the audience. The production, directed by Justine Themen, incorporated elements of audience interaction and humour whilst maintaining the Shakespearean dialogue that makes King Lear one of the most important tragedies of all time.
First Encounters: King Lear was performed at HSDC’s Havant Campus and Alton College, with the College’s performing arts students being joined by students from Oakmoor School, Admiral Lord Nelson School, Trafalgar School and Mayfield School.
HSDC’s partnership as a Lead Associate School with the RSC allows the College to host exclusive productions such as these, enriching the educational experience of both students at College and local schools.
Oliver Senton as the titular King Lear.
Pete Budd, Havant’s Assistant Principal for Curriculum and a consistent champion of the College’s partnership with the RSC, attended the performances, saying:
“It was an absolute pleasure and privilege to host the RSC’s First Encounters production of ‘King Lear’ – an opportunity made possible by the fantastic Associate Schools Programme. The production made a challenging play accessible and fun for younger audiences while maintaining the timeless narrative. Its focus on leadership and the consequences of all our choices resonated with the times in which we live. Thank you to the schools who came to see the play – and to the RSC for a wonderful and enriching experience.”
HSDC is honoured to have hosted such a prestigious theatre company, and is looking forward to future collaborations with the RSC to bring Shakespeare to as many young people as possible.