Good Learning and Bad Learning Experience - Stuart

When I was 16, I started my A-levels at technical college. The oppressiveness of the boys grammar school I had attended until I was 15 lifted and my education began. This was best illustrated when the drama teacher, who was also my English Literature teacher, took the class to Stratford-Upon-Avon to see The Royal Shakespeare’s production of King Lear. The Fool was played by Anthony Sher and King Lear by Michael Gambon, it was 1982! This is the illustration from the poster: 

I vividly remember the magic and excellence of the play, my first Shakespeare – it was entrancing!

My first piano teacher, Miss Smith was a sweet and sharp, older lady. Her teaching style, on reflection, was poor. She was a real character, though! There were often tears in the lesson and too much of the 30 minutes was taken up with local gossip. She was very sweet but when I eventually moved to a different teacher I realised how much I had been held back. My experience with Miss Smith formed part of the inspiration for my parlour musical, The Musical Medium, staged at the Landor Theatre in Clapham in 2005. Pictured below: