Children from local schools have been learning about their Victorian counterparts this month with help from the New Vic Theatre.

Actors from the cast of Bleak House, the theatre’s new adaptation of Dickens’ novel, have been helping pupils learn about pickpockets, beggars and other young ne’er do wells as part of an Education project at the theatre-in-the-round.

Pupils Lucy Bamber and Jack Kennedy with Bleak House actress Kirsty Wood. Image courtesy of The Sentinel.

Professional actors and Theatre Practitioners from the New Vic have been touring to Newcastle primary schools to look at what it was like to be a child in Victorian Britain, using drama to bring Dickens’ era to life.

Local Links

Forming part of the New Vic’s Local Links project, the theatre has been working together with four local primary schools: Springhead CP School in Talke, Our Lady and St Werburgh’s RC Primary in Clayton, Silverdale Primary School and Ellison Street Primary School in Wolstanton.

The project culminates this month, when the youngsters take to the New Vic stage with professional actors to perform their drama presentations for schools, teachers and families.

Totally different

Mr Ben Grove is Deputy Head at Our Lady and St Werburgh’s RC Primary. He said: “This is totally different from the usual school-based work. It’s been really special for the students to bring their work from school and into the theatre. It’s been a really effective way of teaching history and has really fired their imaginations – all of our pupils have had a great time!”

Jack Kennedy (pictured above), 11, attends Our Lady and St Werburgh’s RC Primary School. He said: “I’m enjoying learning things with drama. I didn’t know much about drama or history before but now I’m really interested.”

Added Springhead Primary pupil, Zeioni Bates, 10: “We’ve been playing lots of fun games and creating characters.

“I play a Victorian teacher and a young boy called William. Playing the characters really helps me to learn about what life was like back then. It’s been brilliant.”

Said New Vic Head of Education, Jill Rezzano: “It has been a great opportunity to showcase the creativity of children in our community.

“We aim to provide high quality experiences to our local schools, so it’s been fantastic to see how enthusiastically children and teachers have responded to this project, and how schools, children and parents have been able to come together and make links with the theatre and each other.”

For more information on Local Links, or any other Education project, please email Lynn Parry, or call 01782717954 ext 356.