Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen launch new Shakespeare curriculum

Dame Helen Mirren has expressed her profound excitement over a new Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) curriculum, designed to revolutionise the teaching of Shakespeare in UK secondary schools.

The Oscar-winning actress, who joined the global theatre company in the 1960s and has graced stages in productions such as Antony And Cleopatra and Macbeth, lauded the initiative as a vital step forward.

Appearing alongside Sir Ian McKellen at a London launch event, Dame Helen, 80, reflected on her own introduction to the Bard. "I was very lucky, because when I was about 15, I was taken to see a production of Hamlet, and I fell in love with Shakespeare just like that," she recalled.

She emphasised the ideal age for engagement, stating, "You’re so ripe for Shakespeare when you’re 13, 14, 15, 16 years old, it’s the perfect age to be exposed to Shakespeare."

While acknowledging the dedication of teachers who "really struggle (to) try to make it live and relevant" with the challenging language, she hailed the curriculum as an "amazing, wonderful tool."

She added, "To me, and Ian, I’m sure, it’s so unbelievably exciting to see that there is a new initiative to bring Shakespeare so thrillingly, sexily, violently – all the good stuff – to life."

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Sir Ian McKellen, known for his roles as King Lear and Macbeth with the RSC, initially joked that he "shouldn’t really be" at the event, having always believed that "Shakespeare didn’t belong in the classroom."

He questioned the patriotic motive for teaching Shakespeare, noting the Bard’s identity as an actor rather than a politician or monarch.

"I just know after 60 or 70 years of acting Shakespeare that it is bloody difficult, and I’ve still not worked out how to do it," he admitted, pondering how a 13 or 14-year-old could appreciate its complexities.

However, after reviewing the curriculum, Sir Ian declared, "I’ve changed my mind, and so that’s why it’s appropriate that I should be here speaking to you." He stressed that the curriculum simplifies the "very complicated business" of teaching Shakespeare, supporting educators who "can’t be expected to be fitted to teach Shakespeare".

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The RSC’s curriculum, which is free for all state and Send schools, is described as "the first teaching and learning platform of its kind dedicated to Shakespeare’s plays with user interfaces for both teachers and students".

It transforms 10 of Shakespeare’s most studied plays into a 24-part creative learning experience, drawing on thousands of archive resources.

The company aims for 80 per cent of UK secondary schools to be using the curriculum by the academic year 2029/2030.

The programme will launch with Macbeth, followed by Romeo And Juliet, expanding with two additional plays each academic year. Each play is structured into eight modules, containing three lessons that build knowledge around themes such as language, character, and plot.

The development of this ambitious curriculum was led by the RSC, supported by a £1.06 million grant from the Foyle Foundation.