Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’ takes centre stage

For the first time this year, the Lower School staged their own production, with the choice of Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’ proving to be especially inspiring for Third and Fourth Form pupils as they begin to consider the subjects they want to take forward to GCSE.

According to research from the British Council published last year, fewer than 3% of British state schools offer Latin & Classics, compared to nearly half of all independent schools. Here at Cardinal Vaughan, we’re proud of our heritage in these subjects, with many pupils going on to study them at leading Universities.

According to Ms Georgiakakis, Teacher of Classics, Latin & Greek, staging a production like this enables pupils in the Third and Fourth Form to engage with the text in a new way: "I continue to be impressed by the knowledge of Ancient Greek and Roman mythology which pupils have acquired even before joining the school. Their enthusiasm and interest is inspiring, so it has been fantastic to enable them to develop this further in a dramatic setting. Hopefully the experience of putting on the Odyssey will encourage many more to take up Classical Civilisation at GCSE and A-Level."

The impact of the performance was further heightened by a specially-created score from our A-level music pupils and imaginative costume design by Ms Upton. Pupils showed great commitment during the development of the production, as Head of Drama Ms Drury explains: ‘Rehearsing The Odyssey was a joyful experience; the boys worked incredibly hard and were justifiably proud of the end result. The addition of a Lower School Play to the crowded school calendar is one I am thrilled to be a part of: I hope it continues to enrich the life of the school.

‘Drama is a fast-growing subject at the Vaughan; the boys who study it at GCSE recognise that it encourages them to think and act creatively, thus developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills that can be applied in all areas of learning. At its best, drama fosters empathy, it challenges us to engage with the lives of others and be brave and bold in our communication. 

The boys enjoyed the experience greatly too. As Daniel, who played Noman in the production, comments: ‘I completely loved playing this role because there’s a massive contrast between light and shade. It’s an amazing story - and we’ve also had the support of outstanding teaching staff too.’

For more information about studying Classics at Cardinal Vaughan, pupils & parents are encouraged to contact Ms Davies-Evitt, Head of Classics.