The Greatest Villain In History
“I am not a huge Shakespeare fan, so when I started to attend the Grammar School productions of Shakespeare plays, my expectations weren't all that high. Not only was it Shakespeare, but it was being performed by Middle School students. I couldn't have been more wrong. From beginning to end, each production has mesmerized and engaged me as I have been transported back to an Elizabethan time, and have temporarily forgotten that the star crossed lovers are grade nine students, or that the ‘fool’ is only in grade six!”
That’s Kim Turner (Katherine M5 and Patrick S3) describing the experience of audiences year in and year out at these top quality productions. The work begins months in advance, with dozens of Grammarians, both student and faculty, pouring themselves into the sets, costumes, lighting, music, and, of course, the performances.
Some of this year’s performers are “old favourites” by now, particularly the Middle Fives in the play. It is Toby Partridge’s sixth consecutive year on stage, and his last in Middle School Drama club. “I was in the Prep Four musical, then I joined Drama Club in Grade Five and since then I’ve played Tubal in Merchant of Venice, Adam in As You Like It, Fool in King Lear, Hunter in Newtons Law of Popularity, and now Roderigo in Othello.”
Director Charles Follini says Othello is fantastic entertainment, in part due to the incredible character Iago. "This is one of the greatest villains in the history of theatre," enthuses Follini. "His breathtakingly destructive genius must be seen to be believed."
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Halifax Grammar School is the leading independent, co-educational day school in Atlantic Canada. From Junior Primary through Grade 12, the Halifax Grammar School is an environment where passionate teachers challenge students to develop confidence through independence, where coaches and advisors encourage students to pursue excellence through effort, and where a community fosters in students a lasting commitment to helping others.