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Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, the ground-breaking trilogy which includes Julius Caesar, Henry IV and The Tempest is now available for secondary schools to watch across the UK via the free national service. With a diverse, all-female cast and set in a women’s prison, the productions asked the question, “Who owns Shakespeare?”. The Trilogy was described by the Observer as ‘One of the most important theatrical events of the last 20 years.’
The Donmar Shakespeare Trilogy began in 2012 with an all-female production of Julius Caesar with Harriet Walter in the title role. Two further productions followed: Henry IV in 2014 and The Tempest in 2016, all featuring a diverse company of women.
The National Theatre’s On Demand In Schools service offers world class curriculum-linked productions – free of charge – to schools across the country. Over 3880 schools are currently signed up to the service, including over 60% of state-funded secondary schools in the country. There are 14 productions available on the service which includes four titles suitable for primary schools.
On Demand In Schools complements trips to see live performances by enabling younger audiences to watch plays in their classroom. The plays are recorded in high definition in front of a live theatre audience. Teachers can show the full production or choose to watch key scenes over a number of lessons.
To accompany the Shakespeare Trilogy recordings, the Donmar Warehouse has created extensive digital learning resources that have been developed in partnership with the Trilogy company, teachers and young people. Designed to support the teaching of Drama, English and PSHE, the accessible resources support in giving further context to the development of the Shakespeare Trilogy, and explorations of its key themes and contemporary relevance to young people.