Bringing English and history to life through immersive storytelling

The relevance of learning styles is widely discussed but it can likely be agreed that some pupils just don’t take to learning in the classroom in the same way others do; they are, to use the phrase, ‘active learners’ and will sometimes learn best by doing. We’re sure you can also agree that a learning environment can change the way a student interacts with and feels confident about a particular topic or idea.

Consider the benefits of taking pupils to a theatrical experience; it is the perfect environment to encourage pupils to foster assertiveness and empathy for others by appreciating the characters they are meeting/watching. You can set them the task of getting behind the mind of that character; consider what their tone of voice suggests about how they are feeling and what is their body language and expression signifying?

Let’s dig deeper and board a magical 4D bus to Far Far Away, or skip the fairy tale and keep scrolling for a secondary learning perspective bought to life by some of the UK’s most infamous characters.

Step into story construction at Shrek’s Adventure! London (Ages 5-11)

Experience a fictional world first-hand in the magical, immersive world of Shrek’s Adventure! London. Your adventure begins in the classroom, with these free resources that encourage students to explore what we mean by the term ‘fairy tale’ and the role of different character types - this is a good time to explore role-play, who will step into the spotlight as the hero or villain?

Homework done! It is time to grab your tickets and transport your classroom to Far Far Away as they embark on a thrilling adventure through eight stimulating live shows. Aided by famous fairy-tale characters, pupils will find themselves in a supporting role, working together to discover three magical ingredients to help find Shrek and outwit the evil Rumpelstiltskin.

The whole experience primes students to understand that stories are developed with a beginning, a middle and an end, feel connected to the process of characterisation and of building characters and reflect on the importance of ‘setting’, encouraging them to go on to imagine new settings, using sensory description.

Meet some of the UK’s most infamous characters at The London Dungeon (Ages 12-16)

A little less of the magical and dial up the horrible, as crime and punishment in Britain between 1485 and late 19th century is bought to life through immersive storytelling. In the dark and mysterious setting of the London Dungeon, your journey through history starts with a lesson in how to be a horrible cast of characters.

Prepare your students with a role-play task, ask them to choose a character and have a go at conveying their thoughts, feelings and motivations, how will it match up when they meet the cast of theatrical characters?

There is then the frightening scenes and showdowns, The Dungeons are a truly unique experience when you think about all the other elements of live performance, the special effects, the scenes, rides, costume, make-up, lighting, scripts, stage directions… the list can go on and on, the whole experience is brilliant stimulus of discovery when it comes to scriptwriting and performance. Use the experience and stories from inside the Dungeon to create a passion for storytelling and drama that inspires young learners.