Spanish theatre group thrills Haileybury pupils

Spanish came to life at Haileybury last week when Firewalk Theatre, a group of professional Spanish actors based in Zaragoza, visited the school to perform their production of Velada Espanola.

The theatre company specialises in educational theatre for language students and undertakes an annual tour of schools all over Britain. The Haileybury event was attended by a number of other local schools.

The story was based on a group of prisoners, who are also musicians, and are escorted from the prison in order to give a concert. They gave some memorable performances of recent pop hits by Shakira and The Ketchup Girls, and their comic interpretation of sketches from Titanic was particularly memorable.

The entire play was acted out in Spanish, so the actors used various techniques to make it appealing to all levels of Spanish learners, from beginners to Sixth Formers intending to read Spanish at university next year.

Spanish teacher Michael Wright says: "The main objective was to inspire and enthuse the Spanish pupils and help them appreciate that languages are more than just a subject in the classroom. They must be enjoyed and lived out as a tool for learning about other cultures, people and ways of life.

"The project was a huge success. Pupils stood up, danced, clapped, cheered and sang along with the actors. It turned out to be a memorable evening."

Firewalk Theatre intends to return to Haileybury next year with a simplified performance of Cervantes’ classic, Don Quixote.