Shakespeare 4 Kidz News

Joseph’s back with the Bard

Jan 9 2009 by Joe Riley, Liverpool Echo

WORKING on a Shakespeare adaptation for children in Liverpool next week will be a homecoming for a top international director.

Joseph Fowler, 35, is currently resident director at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris for English National opera’s staging of Leonard Bernstein’s musical, On The Town, starring Caroline O’Connor.

But the Warrington- born former soloist with the Royal Ballet and Zurich Ballet will be back at the Empire as choreographer and assistant director for a version of Romeo & Juliet.

“I feel like I am coming home,” says Joseph, who trained at the Hammond School, Chester, and who has worked in mainland Europe for the past 15 years.

But the local connections are many.

Joseph’s father, Peter, now retired, was the last headmaster of Liverpool Institute boys’ school, later restored and converted to become Lipa.

“I would often be taken to musical shows at the Empire as a youngster, so it’s particularly marvellous to be going back there to do a show for young people,” says Joseph, whose subsequent career has ranged from dancing the celebrated role of the Prince in The Nutcracker, to choreographing stage shows for Shirley Bassey.

Shakespeare 4 Kidz, Empire Theatre, Jan 13 10.30am and 1.30pm.

Click here to see the original article online at the Liverpool Echo website

Shakespeare 4 Kidz perform Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest at Wakefield Theatre Royal

Published Date: 02 January 2009

A STORMY shipwreck, an enchanted island, warring families, two young lovers and one magical theatre company are coming to Wakefield in January.

Shakespeare 4 Kidz, a theatre company from Surrey, are bringing their very own brand of song and dance based on the Bard's famous plays.

They will be performing their own versions of the classic love-story Romeo And Juliet and The Tempest in a way never seen before.

The company combines the most famous bits from the original texts with modern language, music, song and dance to create magical plays which are easy to understand.

The plays are designed to be as entertaining as they are educational, and are for all ages – from junior school students to adults who gave up on Shakespeare a long time ago.

Romeo And Juliet, the story of two star-crossed lovers kept apart by their waring families – is a tale about love trying to conquer all. It will be performed at Theatre Royal Wakefield on Wednesday, January 28, at 1.30pm and 7.30pm, and Thursday, January 29 at 10am and 1.30pm.

The Tempest, a tale of revenge and a cheated brother who lost his throne, his crown and his country, will be performed on Friday, January 30, at 10am and 1.30pm.

For tickets, contact the box office on 01924 211311 or click here

Click here to read the original article online at the Wakefield Express website

In the week that Matt Smith has been announced as the new Doctor Who, Shakespeare 4 Kidz have unveiled their new Romeo.

Matt Brinkler will play the love-struck Romeo in the spring season of S4K's UK tour of Romeo and Juliet - The Musical which opens at the Liverpool Empire on Tuesday 13th January.

22 year-old Matt from London played Matt in musical Soul Traders at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival and was Sven in the recent hit movie, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.

"Romeo Montague is a dream of a role", said Matt, "and S4K's style is vibrant, exciting and fun: everything that good musical theatre should be. I can't wait!"

S4K's Romeo and Juliet - The Musical plays with S4K's The Tempest from 13th January until 3rd April.

MAKING THEATRE AVAILABLE TO ALL

Shakespeare 4 Kidz to stage two plays

Shakespeare 4 Kidz (S4K) - known for theirfun interpretations of plays by the Bard - is to put on a performance at the Theatre Royal in Wakefield.

The highly-acclaimed theatre company will perform Romeo and Juliet and their own version of The Tempest in the new year.

S4K is an award-winning British theatre company which specialises in exciting, inventive adaptations of the classic Shakespeare stories.

It blends the most famous bits of original text with modern language, music, song and dance, to create magic plays which are easy to understand.

The group's interpretations are designed to be entertaining as well as educational, so children as young as eight can enjoy them. In the S4K version of Romeo and Juliet all the original ingredients are retained.

One night Romeo Montague and his friends decide to gatecrash the Capulet Ball and that is where the couple fall head over heels in love.

From then on it's a roller-coaster ride. love and hate, laughter and tears, politics and religion, power and passion - S4K's Romeo and Juliet has got everything and more to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

The show makes a perfect to introduction to the play for people of all ages and a solid base for anyone wantong to go on to study the play in greater depth.

S4K will be performing 2 shows at the Theatre Royal Wednesday, January 28th, and 1.30 and 7.30; and on Thursday, January 29th, starting at 10am and 1.30pm.

The following day S4K will be performing The Tempest. This is thought by many scholars to be the last play entirely written by Shakespeare. Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, has been overthrown by his wicked brother and, after a shipwreck, ended up with his beautiful daughter Miranda on an enchanted Mediterranean island. 

Prospero is also a sorcerer and has spent his time on teh island perfecting his magical arts.

S4K's version of The Tempest introduces its audiences to a brave new world where they will find "such stuff as dreams are made on", and meet Prospero, Miranda, Ariel the spirit, and Caliban the slave.

Performances of The Tempest are at 10am and 1.30pm on Froday, January 30th. Call the Box Offce for tickets on 01924 211311.

S4K is also a making a movie version of The Tempest. The film goes into production in 2009.

Click here to read the original article online - and see it using Morton's Digital software - on the Wakefield Guardian website