Das White Horse Theatre zu Gast am WHG

Nach zweijähriger Corona-Pause durften wir am 20. Mai endlich wieder das White Horse Theatre bei uns in der Aula begrüßen. Mit den englischsprachigen Stücken „The Empty Chair“, „Two Gentlemen“ und „The Picture of Dorian Gray“ war für alle Altersgruppen und Sprachniveaus etwas dabei. Im Anschluss an die Vorstellungen bekamen unsere Schülerinnen und Schüler zudem die Gelegenheit, im Austausch mit den britischen Schauspielern ihr Englisch zu üben und ihre Fragen loszuwerden. Im Folgenden schildern unsere Schülerinnen und Schüler ihre Eindrücke zu den verschiedenen Theaterstücken.

The Empty Chair (years 5 and 6)

On Friday, 20th May, 2022 I saw the theatre play “The empty chair” in my school. The four actors were from London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Manchester.

The story of the play is about the boy Robbie and his mother. They live alone without a father because it seems to me that Robbie’s father is away. They have got three chairs in their room but one of these is always empty. This chair is the chair of his father and Robbie waits for him every day. In the life of Robbie and his mother every day is the same. Until one night when Robbie meets Jared. This man is an alien. Robbie´s mother falls in love with Jared. From now on Jared lives in Robbie and his mother´s house. The daily routine of both changes completely together with Jared. It is like a new life. There is one thing Robbie doesn´t like. A long time he doesn´t want Jared to sit on the chair of his father. Robbie changed his mind when Jared wasn´t feeling well. Jared belongs to him and his mother as a complete family.

My favourite scene were the car rides because they were really funny. For me the theatre play was a bit too loud. I don´t really like love stories very much.
For me the message of this play is to engage in new things when it is time.

-- Marie Langer, 6a

I think the theatre play was very funny and exciting.

My favourite scenes were when Robbie and his mother drive in the car, Jared makes food for Robbie and at night when the spaceship was in the garden. I learned that when a person is dead, life does not end. That is very sad, but also true. I liked the theatre play very much.

At the end we could ask a lot of questions. That was cool.The actors and actresses told us a lot about their life. Someone has a sister or a brother. They have animals and they like video games and Tik Tok very much, for example Fifa or Mario Card. Their favourite German words were: ”Schnitzel, Schauspieler, Bratwurst and Currywurst.” That made us laugh!

-- Hanna Erdmann, 6a

Two Gentlemen (years 7 and 9)

After two years of Corona the White Horse Theatre could finally visit our school again. For the seventh and ninth grade they performed “Two Gentlemen” by Peter Griffith, the modern “Romeo and Juliet” as it’s said. In this story we have two boys, two best friends who end up being in love with the same girl.

But let’s start at the beginning. At first Piers, one of the boys, falls in love with a girl called Julia. He wins her attention through a love letter, and they become lovers – with thousands of amorous looks, promises and lovely words. During this time, Piers’ best friend Vincent has to change his school, and because of this, unfortunately, there is a huge distance between the two guys. After a few months Piers also switches to Vincent’s school and is promptly introduced to his best friend’s new girlfriend, Silvia. She’s the headmaster’s daughter and has been the new love of Piers since the moment he saw her the first time, even though he has Julia at home. When Vincent is thrown out of his school due to a little intrigue, Piers can eventually confess his love to Silvia, who doesn’t feel the same way and is just disappointed about Piers’ betrayal of his best friend. Julia, dressed as a boy, follows Piers to his new school, ready to surprise Piers, and hears her boyfriend’s confession of love for this other girl and can’t be surpassed in disappointment and sadness. But Piers doesn’t even realize and just continues because he has only eyes for Silvia - until Vincent finds out about his love. Instead of being angry, as everyone expects, he suddenly supports his best friend. Is that friendship or is it not really gentlemanlike? A total lack of understanding can be read on the girls’ faces, who immediately decide to break up and never again let a boy destroy their hearts. So they leave this situation as new best friends.

So friendship is in the center of this story: friendship is the most valuable commodity in the world! Don’t forget this!  (and do not rely on boys! ? )

-- Pia Däbritz and Charlotte Müller, 9bs

The Picture of Dorian Gray (years 10 and 11)

On 20 May, the White Horse Theatre was our guest at school. They performed the play "The picture of Dorian Gray”, a play by Gay Wilson based on the novel by Oscar Wilde.

The play is about the painter Basil Hallward who is fascinated by the young wealthy Dorian Gray. Dorian wishes that he might remain young forever, while the portrait grows old. Under the influence of Basil's old friend, the unscrupulous dandy Lord Henry Wotton, his wish is fulfilled and Dorian embarks on a life of debauchery.

Dorian falls in love with an actress named Sybil Vane. Despite all warnings of her brother James, she agrees to marry him. Basil, Lord Henry and Dorian come to the theatre to see a performance of Sybil. But her performance is a disaster, and Dorian realises that he was only in love with her art, so he leaves her. In her sadness the girl commits suicide.

When Dorian comes back home, he realises that the picture has changed: His wish has come true. The portrait is being disfigured by his cruel actions, but he remains unchanged. He begins a life of scandal, passion and debauchery for 18 years. One scandal involves the seduction of Alan Campbell. In a fit of passion he kills Basil, and blackmails the unfortunate Alan into destroying the body. During a debauch in a sordid opium-den he sees one of his early victims. He decides to begin a new life and destroys the portrait, and so the disfigurements of age and corruption are transferred to himself. When the police arrive, they find Dorians body on the floor. “He was withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage. It was not till the rings on his fingers had been examined that they recognised who it was. The son of love and death.”

-- Milena Gaffke and Denny Rost, year 11