Classics Society
Architectural Walking Tour of Birmingham and the Jewellery Quarter
On Saturday 7th October, an ever-moving Classics Society set out on another excursion – this time a little closer to home, merely a short train journey to Birmingham. A city which is often considered the inspiration for the ‘concrete jungle’, the expert eyes of Jim, our resident architect, helped to challenge the traditional view of our city, pointing out such areas of interest, such as the second smallest cathedral (according to Mr Wright) in England, as well as the magnificent Telephone Exchange. Beginning to move into the Jewellery Quarter, at every turn there were constant reminders that Birmingham at one time was the ‘workshop of the world’, and how comparatively recent years have cut this magnificent area of the city down to a mere sliver of its’ former glory, and our final tour around the Smith and Pepper jewellers, abandoned in 1981 in perfect condition and now run as a museum by the city served as a fitting end to a day remembering the city’s greatness, and the current movements being made to rejuvenate it. Nonetheless, a thoroughly cracking time was had by all, and on behalf of all who went on the trip, I’d like to thank all those teachers and the legions of parents who gave up their time to make sure we didn’t get run over or fall in the canal, especially the ever-industrious Miss Guy and new recruit Miss Dickinson.
By Tom Foxall
Oedipus Rex
Whoever said that Classics is dying in schools? On Monday 20th November, the Solihull School Classics Society begged to differ, sending a packed minibus of ardent students to see an adaptation of Sophocles’ famous tragedy ‘Oedipus Rex’ in Worcester.
The production was … interesting. A heroic cast of four performed a well-written performance with effective, unobtrusive use of lighting, sound effects and music and some stylish props. Words were clear, and the serious, weighty dialogue of the play’s opening was effectively performed. Indeed, I was very impressed with how accessible the whole story had become.
In the middle section, however, this high standard was not quite maintained. The audience (mostly trips of Classicists like ourselves), already slightly rambunctious and excited by their outing, started to break into raucous, gaudy laughter during a scene involving some (admittedly quite over-acted) violence. The terrifying image of an enraged Oedipus acting rashly, driven by an irrational fury building inside him, should have inspired our hearts with that deadly Aristotelian cocktail, pity and fear. Sadly, the effect was lost, as the World-Championship-Wrestling-esque exploits on the stage, together with the irreverent Thespians around us, in fact turned tragedy to farce for a brief moment.
Nevertheless, both parties pulled their act together (no pun intended) for the play’s ending sequence, as horrific and moving as one could hope for, the blood-drenched Oedipus’ pitiful clutching and stumbling giving way to a deeply symbolic gesture representing the restored unity and peace of Thebes. But with an iota more subtlety in some of the acting, and an audience of sobriety to match, it could have been so much more – that was the real tragedy of the evening.
Matthew Ralph UVI IF