“DOUBLE, double toil and trouble: Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.”

Those instantly recognisable lines from one of Shakespeare’s finest plays were performed in the Bard’s hometown by Bradford students last week.

The group of 16 students from four Bradford schools performed an edited version of Macbeth after weeks of rehearsals at The Other Place, a 200-seat studio owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon last Thursday.

They performed as part of the RSC’s Playmaking Festival alongside students from schools across the country.

Students, aged from Year 7 to 12, from Feversham College, Bradford College, St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College and Dixons Cottingley Academy came together for the performance.

They have been working on sections of the play in their schools, but have only had a few full-cast rehearsals to pull ‘The Scottish Play’ together under the watchful eye of director Julia O’Keeffe.

Laura Broughton-Janes, 16, who studies at Bradford College, said: “It has been great working together with the people from the other schools.

“We decided to use a physical approach to explore our chosen script. It has been very interesting playing with the ideas of how the Weird Sisters are involved in the story of Macbeth, and how to show the control that they have over what happens.”

Ms O’Keeffe, who has mentored her group of budding thespians during rehearsals, added: “The day of the festival itself was so exciting and a really powerful example of what our young people can do when they work together.

“It has been a joy to see students from Year 7, Year 8, Year 9 and Year 12 at different schools all working as one.

“The experience and the skills that they have learned will be useful in all areas of their lives.”

The production of Macbeth is not the only Shakespeare-orientated work that has been taking place in Bradford over the past academic year.

On Friday, pupils from Baildon Church of England Primary School, Low Ash Primary School, Shipley Primary School and Titus Salt School came together to share the work they have been doing since September.

There were examples of written work and art inspired by Shakespeare, as well as performances of scenes from a number of his plays.

This work has all been encouraged and supported through the RSC Associate Schools Programme, a partnership between the RSC, Bradford College, and the Alhambra Theatre, which has been key to its success.

Bradford College is one of only a handful of education providers nationally to be chosen as a Lead Associate School by the RSC, which means it works with local schools and theatres to immerse teachers and students in new approaches to Shakespeare’s plays, and engages the next generation with the work of Shakespeare, widely-regarded as the greatest playwright ever.

Later this year, in December, Bradford College will be hosting two performances of the RSC First Encounters: Comedy of Errors, which will feature young people from Bradford alongside professional actors.

Erica Whyman’s critically acclaimed production of Romeo and Juliet will also be coming to the district in April 2019 for a week at the Alhambra.

Schools involved in the Associate Schools Programme are also working towards a larger performance festival in the future.