On Thursday, 11 December, we took some pupils to Burnley Youth Theatre to see its flagship winter production, Oliver Twist.
Following Oliver on his journey from the workhouse to the busy streets of London, our pupils were entranced from the very beginning. They were gripped by the adventure Oliver goes on in Charles Dickens’ classic story, both literally and personally as he discovers who he truly is.
The cast on stage brought the iconic story to life, as well as its complex characters, including the mischievous Artful Dodger, the master thief Fagin, the menacing Billy Sykes and the warm-hearted Nancy.
One pupil said: “I really liked the character Nancy. I loved the way she tried to help Oliver throughout the story. Her accent was really good and her costume was iconic and true to what you imagine Nancy wears in the film.”
Leaving school on the Thursday morning, we made the hour-long trip to Burnley via mini-bus. Energy levels were high during the journey with pupils chatting enthusiastically about their performance predictions.
“I’ve never gone to the theatre,” another pupil explained. “It was fun trying to understand what the actors were saying using old English language and I also liked that the case were all children. It’s something we can do if we wanted to!”
Miss Booth, our drama teacher, led the theatre visit and was proud of the way pupils behaved during the trip and represented The Acorns School so positively.
Miss Booth said: “We had a fantastic time, and it was such a joy to witness the enthusiasm students showed before, during and after the performance. There’s nothing quite like watching a show on stage and our pupils thoroughly enjoyed themselves.”
Whilst the trip to the theatre formed part of our Christmas activities, it also served to support pupils’ learning beyond the classroom. Seeing a live adaptation of a well-known story helps deepen pupils’ understanding of characters and how atmosphere can be created, both of which are central to the English curriculum.
