New device available: Amazon Fire TV

This film is part of Free

Shakespeare at Harrow

Harrow’s schoolboys perform a scene from King Lear in this short film looking at the school’s theatrical endeavours.

Amateur film 1957 12 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for London's Screen Archives

Overview

A short film showing Harrow schoolboys performing King Lear at the school’s circular Speech Room. Includes scenes of the Queen touring the school and several shots of the school’s buildings. Much focus is on the Speech Room, which we are told resembles the Globe theatre. The director was Ronald Watkins, whose traditionally staged Shakespearean productions were an annual tradition at the school between 1941 and 1964.