Now in its 9th year, The Play's The Thing is our much-loved secondary schools tour, which brings Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth to Year 10 and 11 pupils in less advantaged schools across Surrey and beyond.

This will be the only experience of live theatre that some of our students have ever had. Many of them will probably never see a production of Shakespeare again." Sunbury Manor School

Any school is eligible to receive this for FREE if they have an above average number of students eligible for pupil premium (free school meals), or are below the national average of students achieving a strong pass (grade 5 or above) in English and Maths GCSE.

The tour comprises a live production, a Q&A with the cast and a follow-up workshop. It provides GCSE students with professional insight at a crucial point of their academic life, provoking discussion and stimulating further ideas for classroom study.

“The workshops were again pitched perfectly for the audience. We liked the way that they enabled every student to have an opinion on various aspects of the play - even those students that have struggled with it.” Sue Barker, English & Maths Technician, Woking High School

This year, following three weeks of visiting Surrey schools, the tour will continue in Berkshire in partnership with Reading Rep Theatre and Richmond (London) in co-production with the Orange Tree Theatre. It will also visit The British School in The Hague in the Netherlands.

Once again, this tour has been made possible through funding from an anonymous donor to whom we are indebted, and is co-produced with The Orange Tree Theatre.

Four actors will bringing to life two of Shakespeare's best-loved plays, Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet.

This year Ben Harvey (The History of Boys, Old Red Lion Theatre; Reformed, Bread and Roses Theatre) will star as Romeo and Cameron Quinn Chaver (The Duchess of Malfi , LAMDA; A Wild Night in Toledo, LAMDA) as Juliet. The cast of Macbeth features Finn O’Riordain (Troilus and Cressida, The Globe; Sectioned, Cam) as Macbeth and Consuella Rolle (Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Piccadilly Circus; Snow White and the Happy Ever After Beauty Salon, Salisbury Playhouse) as Lady Macbeth.

Romeo & Juliet will be directed by Zoë Waterman (previously Associate Director of the New Vic Theatre Stoke; recent credits include Bolton Octagon, Hull Truck, Theatre by the Lake) and Macbeth by Marcus Bazeley (GSA, RABBLE, Proteus Theatre).

CREATIVE TEAM

Marcus Bazley - Director (Macbeth)
Zoë Waterman - Director (Romeo & Juliet)
Kerrie Driscoll - Creative Learning Producer (GSC)
Francesca Ellis - Community Director (Orange Tree)
Sophie Lovell Smith - Set & Costume Designer
Matt Eaton - Sound Designer
Sundeep Saini - Movement Director
Philip d'Orléans - Fight Director
Jen Bye - Stage Manager