STUDENTS from Cirencester Kingshill School had a wonderful time performing Shakespeare's King Lear play on a professional stage.

On November 18, Year 8 and 9 pupils, who are winners in the school's Shakespeare by Heart summer competition were given a fantastic opportunity to perform on the professional stage at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham as part of the national Shakespeare Schools Festival.

Sarah Watson, a spokesman for the school: “The pupils performed with three other schools to a highly appreciative full house, including many of our Year 7 English pupils as part of the link between the English and Drama departments. Our pupils performed a 30 minute version of one of Shakespeare’s most important works, King Lear, and loved every moment from walking out onto the stage, using the readily available professional technology, to taking their final bow after a tremendous performance.

“Our entry was highly praised by the organisers who said It was a dynamic, creative and mature performance!”

The Shakespeare Schools Festival involves over 35,000 performers countrywide in 130 professional theatres and Sir Nicholas Hytner, artistic director of the National Theatre in London, is its patron.