Young Bards in Brent brought a Shakespearean festival to a rousing finish.

Pupils from six primary schools in the borough closed the two-week event performing a scene each from Hamlet at Capital City Academy in Doyle Gardens, Willesden.

It’s the culmination of months of hard work from Kingsbury Green Primary School in Old Kenton Lane, Harlesden Primary School in Acton Lane, St Mary’s Cof E in Garnet Road, Willesden, Gladstone Park Primary School in Sherrick Green Road, Dollis Hill, and Stonebridge Primary School in Shakespeare Avenue.

All classes involved worked with professional theatre directors to produce their section of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy and teachers have been using the play all term as a basis for literacy, art, design and other cross curriculum work.

Organised by the Primary Shakespeare Company, 30 schools across six London boroughs came together for the festival which was opened by former MP Dame Tessa Jowell in Camden and closed by the charity’s patron, actor Hugh Bonneville on Friday.

Mr Bonneville said: “I just want to say to you ‘thank you’. This is a remarkable play, and you have done something incredible. At your age to give that level of commitment and focus and entertainment as groups of young people is really inspiring.”

Luke Williams, artistic director of the PSC said: “This is the fourth year that PSC have run a Shakespeare Festival in Brent. The progress has been remarkable over this period - not only have we doubled in size, but the quality of performances has improved immeasurably.

“It’s an extraordinary thing to see children doing something to the absolute best of their ability and that was what was really noticeable about the children from these six Brent Primaries - their commitment, effort and creativity was amazing. We’ll be back next year.”