Shakespeare 4 Kidz News

Who said Shakespeare was boring?

HAMLET IN A NUTSHELL

Tickets

‘Shakespeare 4 Kidz Hamlet’ will be playing twice daily at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre, from April 21-24 with performances at 9am and 12pm each day. Schools tickets can be booked by calling 050 854 1749, otherwise call the DUCTAC Box office on 04 341 4777. Sharjah performances are at the Cultural Palace Theatre on April 27 at 11am and 4pm. Schools tickets can be booked by calling 050 854 1749, otherwise call 06 522 5839.

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Hamlet Comes to Town

Unique version of play for children

Prepare to laugh till your tummy hurts or till your jaw drops in awe and admiration at the characters of Hamlet who will come alive from Shakespeare’s play on Bahrain’s stage.

Staged at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre on April 19, Prince Hamlet will return home to attend his father’s funeral only to be disappointed by his mother’s sudden marriage to his uncle Claudius, who has now become king.

So when Hamlet meets the ghost of his dead father, he sets out upon a mysterious story of murder, intrigue and revenge, all the time trying to prove once and for all that his uncle is the murderer.

Shakespeare 4 Kidz’ brand new musical theatre adaptation of Hamlet’s saga brings their unique musical storytelling style to the most famous Shakespeare play of them all “To see or not to see? Now that is the question!

Kids will love the simpler and unambiguous nature of the play. The original four and half-hour text version has been condensed by Julian Chenery and Matt Gimblett into a two-hour musical theatre show whilst remaining an authentic re-telling of the original story.

From the first sighting of the Ghost of Old Hamlet on the battlements of Elsinore Castle to the final dramatic sword-fight all the famous elements of Hamlet remain. The scripts unique approach to penetrate young minds gives it a contemporary twist.

Shakespeare 4 Kidz is a theatre company creating musical adaptations of the Bard’s classic plays. It creatively engages the next generation in to some of the literary king’s most brilliant masterpieces, making his work accessible and exciting for a younger audience.

The company’s performances are striking a perfect chord among theatre lovers; the sell out shows sums it all. Paul Parris will take centre stage as Hamlet, gently leading his young audience through his character’s trials and tribulations. While his real enemy Claudius, his uncle and stepfather, played perfectly by Jason Lee Scott has a voice to die for.

Strong voices, slapstick humour, delightful props and wonderful characters will breathe life into the play. “The audience reaction and feedback has finally proved to us that the S4K success story can continue on the international stage,” said Julian Chenery, the company’s producer and director.

“We have worked for over ten years to demystify the work of the Bard for children and young people and we are absolutely delighted that the response to the S4K musicals is as good if not better overseas as it is in the UK.”

Featured on five TV stations including Dubai One, Good Morning Dubai and Ejunior, the company thrives on a revival of interest in Shakespeare’s works. Tickets to the show will cost BD12 for children and BD15 for adults and are available at Hava Java and Razmatazz.

So without further ado, book your tickets to a show, that Shakespeare would rightly term, ‘A hit, a very palpable hit.’ For information, call 17 582-324.

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HSBC have been announced as headline sponsors of this year's S4K tour to the United Arab Emirates.

Shakespeare 4 Kidz – the award-winning theatre company whose easy-to-understand fun-filled musical adaptations of the Bard’s classics have delighted audiences for over ten years – are returning to the UAE with their five-star hit show, “Shakespeare 4 Kidz HAMLET”. The event is hosted by HSBC Bank Middle East Limited in association with Aldar and Aldar Academics.

The award-winning company delighted audiences in the Gulf last year when they brought their “triumphant” musical version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to Dubai and Sharjah for the first time. Now the company are set to return with their acclaimed musical production of Shakespeare’s most famous play, Hamlet.

Kaltham Al Koheji, Chairperson, HSBC in the Community Middle East Foundation said,

“We are pleased to support the Shakespeare 4 Kidz – Hamlet tour in the UAE.

HSBC has established itself as a leading supporter of projects that promote cross cultural understanding. This educational play which is adapted to attract younger audiences without impacting the original work of the renowned writer Shakespeare, will introduce school children who come from diverse backgrounds to the astonishing world of such a great writer.

We hope with our support, we will help youngsters enjoy Shakespeare’s work in a simple way”

Our five-star hit "S4K Hamlet" is heading to the Gulf straight after the end of its current eight month UK tour.

The show which stars Paul Parris as Hamlet, with Jason Lee Scott as Claudius, Pippa Jeronimo as Gertrude and Antony Stuart-Hicks as Polonius will play dates in Bahrain, Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi during April 2008.

This follows a "triumphant" debut trip to Dubai in 2007 with S4K's A Midsummer Night's Dream, when the show played 12 sell-out performances in Dubai and Sharjah.