Dark, mysterious and chilling – it could only be Gothic Day.
For our Y8 boys, it was a day that started with a brilliant writing masterclass with our Patron of Reading, Steve Skidmore. Each class enjoyed a highly entertaining, laugh-out-loud, fun session with the former teacher and hugely popular children’s author. Linking to the boys’ studies, the masterclass covered all things Gothic, from exploring what makes this popular genre unique to his top tips for writing Gothic fiction. Armed with the knowledge of pathetic fallacy, the magic of three (think Harry Potter) and Steve’s number one tip for writing, “Know your ending before you start – plan long and write quickly”, the boys left enthused.
As the light faded from the autumnal day, it was time to return to the Inky (somehow spookier by night) to tell ghost stories before heading over to the Erskine May Hall for even more spine-chilling thrills. Atmospheric storytelling awaited the boys, courtesy of the Red Heart Theatre Company, who further unlocked their understanding and showed how tension is created in their Gothic Tales production, which included H.G Wells’ The Red Room and Dickens’ The Signalman.
We cannot wait to see what Gothic stories the boys create in the coming weeks with their newfound knowledge and wealth of inspiration.
