Wherefore art thou Romeo? In a Dagenham school of course!

Year five pupils form Valence Primary School, Dagenham, have been rehearsing Shakespeare’s classic tale of “a pair of star-crossed lovers”.

The cast on stage - Credit: Archant

The play is a mixture of Shakespearean language and modern English, explains teacher Andrea Wyldem. The cast also perform a number of songs including Taylor Swift’s hit Love Story and even a Tudor dance.

The cast on stage - Credit: Archant

“We are really proud of the children’s achievements,” said Andrea. Actors from Blue Sky Theatre worked with children to explore the story and develop their acting skills in a workshop earlier in the term.

Romeo was played by Charlie Peters, 10, and Juliet by Bianca Way, 9. The main performance to parents took place last Friday.