The Globe Gathering

The postgraduate students of the Department of English, Loreto College, Kolkata organised The Globe Gathering on April 30, 2024 to celebrate the enduring artistry of William Shakespeare. The event was attended by the faculty and students of the department.

The programme began with “Shakespeare Sarani,” a performance blending the poetic works of William Shakespeare and Rabindranath Tagore. This fusion was exemplified through a graceful dance interpreting Shakespeare’s Sonnet 127 and Tagore’s “Krishnakoli ami tarei boli” as texts that challenge conventional beauty standards.

The “Tortured Souls Society” segment brought a number of ‘tortured’ Shakespearean characters to life through dramatic recitations of their most famous soliloquies. The performances evoked a spectrum of human emotions, from the delirious ramblings of Hamlet to the fiery rage of Shylock, from the guilt crushing Lady Macbeth to the hope driving Prospero.

In “Shakespearean Soirée,” the students blended melancholy and festivity by singing various melodies from Shakespearean plays, including the Willow song from Othello, O Mistress Mine from Twelfth Night, and Full Fathom Five from The Tempest. The “Stratford Savants” quiz that followed tested the audience’s knowledge of Shakespeare’s works.

The highlight of the event was the segment “But Daddy, I Love Him!” which featured a ball based on the tumultuous love story of Romeo and Juliet. Through an original poem entitled “The Last Waltz” and a mesmerising dance performance accompanied by the stirring instrumentals of the piano, the students paid tribute to one of the Bard’s finest literary creations.

The programme culminated in “Shakes’Here,” a comic performance written, produced, and directed by the students that featured various Shakespearean heroines navigating compelling ‘What If’ situations in the contemporary world. This modern satire provoked uproarious laughter while making Shakespeare delightfully relatable for a young audience.

With its seamless amalgamation of poetry, music, dance, and drama, The Globe Gathering served as a memorable testament to the Bard’s enduring artistic legacy. The event also laid the foundation stone for a promising new tradition in Loreto College, as it was the first major event organised exclusively by the postgraduate students of the Department of English.