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Shakespeare by Candlelight

This year’s Shakespeare by Candlelight event was a truly enchanting evening, bringing the Bard’s words to life through drama and music in an atmosphere of warmth and creative confidence. Surrounded by candlelight, performers guided the audience through comedy and tragedy with skill, demonstrating maturity well beyond their years. 

The evening opened beautifully with Inessa R on harp, whose serene performance of William Croft’s Ground set a reflective and elegant tone. Inessa later returned to the stage with a thoughtful and expressive portrayal of Helena from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, showing impressive emotional range across both music and drama. 

Monologues were a particular strength of the evening. Lauren L, also performing Helena, captured her longing and wit with sensitivity, before later demonstrating her musical versatility with a gentle and nostalgic guitar performance of Nostalgia: petite melodie. Will F delivered a chilling and controlled Iago, holding the audience’s attention with quiet menace, while Elsie M brought warmth and comic timing to Mistress Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor. 

Powerful dramatic moments continued with Mathilda H-C’s captivating portrayal of Lady Macbeth, followed by Matthew Carrington’s intense and focused Macbeth, both of whom conveyed the psychological weight of the play with clarity and conviction. Jishnu B’s Marc Antony from Julius Caesar was poised and persuasive, showcasing a strong sense of rhetoric and presence. 

Duologues added energy and contrast throughout the programme. Elin B and Aila R shared a tender and comically engaging exchange as Juliet and the Nurse, while William S and Jacob J delighted the audience with their lively and humorous portrayal of Launce and Speed from the Two gentlemen of Verona. Ava C and Siena F captured both the affection and tension between Helena and Hermia beautifully, and the evening concluded with a gripping confrontation between Macbeth and Macduff, performed with intensity by Henry M and Matthew W. Aaron S’s confident violin performance of Handel’s Allegro provided brightness and momentum between scenes. 

We wish Elsie, Henry and Matthew the very best of luck as they embark on the Semi Finals of the ESU Shakespeare Competition in March!