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S4K has done its bit for Red Nose Day with £250 being donated by the cast, crew, orchestra, management and production team to Comic Relief.
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Famous lovers get rock 'n' roll treatmentWHEN Julian Chenery first had the idea of adapting William Shakespeare's plays to make them more accessible, he had no concept of how popular his work would become.
Some 13 years later and Julian's Shakespeare 4 Kidz productions are performed in schools and theatres all over the world. What's more, his adaptation of The Tempest is likely to be made into a full-length feature film.
It is a worthy achievement for a man who, after losing his job in the London Stock Exchange in the 1980s recession, had to use his initiative and come up with an alternative career.
"I wasn't talented enough to be a sportsman but I was good at performing and writing," he said.
Then Julian recalled that Cliff Richard had once said: "The great thing about my job is that I make money while I'm asleep." These words struck a chord with Julian and he set about coming up with a plan.
Despite this flippant comment, Julian admits that making a reliable living was not his only motivation for the Shakespeare for Kidz (S4K) productions.
"There is no doubt that Shakespeare is a great writer and an English cultural icon. His plays are full of great drama and humour but, unfortunately, so many people are put off his works because they come to them too early and the language is so impenetrable."
"Like most people I first encountered his work as a young teenager at school and, at that time, I found it dull and boring.
"So many youngsters are made to read his plays in the classroom from books and, as a result, are put off for life. My idea was to make Shakespeare feel exciting by thinking how to present it live on stage, in an engaging style that youngsters could relate to."
Julian and his musical partner had already co-written a few short pieces for local schools to perform. In turning their hand to Shakespeare's work they began with A Midsummer Night's Dream, adapting the play to suit modern tastes. All the well-known quotes from the original text were preserved but they were mixed with modern language, music, songs and dance. A contemporary presentation was achieved without losing any of the major characters or the main thrust of the original plot.
The first performance of the play by schoolchildren, in 1996, was a huge success and further adaptations of the great Bard's works have followed.
Macbeth, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and the Tempest, have all been given the S4K treatment and the Tempest is now on the verge of being turned into a film, to be shot in the Middle East, using mainly English actors.
Julian is aware that some people disapprove of his work and view it as a "dumbing down" down exercise but he hopes that, in the long run, it will draw more people into engaging with Shakespeare and the theatre.
"I believe it will lead many in the audience to search out more traditional presentations of Shakespeare's work in later life and do it with real enthusiasm enjoyment."
He'll be hoping to sow the seeds of a lifelong love of Shakespeare in Derby this week when Romeo and Juliet – The Musical comes to the Assembly Rooms.
Julian said: "I hope to surprise youngsters who come to see our version of Romeo and Juliet expecting a dry, boring experience, to discover that what is on offer is a lively, entertaining, musical presentation with a rock 'n' roll theme along the lines of the show Grease."
Romeo and Juliet – The Musical
WHERE: Assembly Rooms, Derby.
WHEN: Thursday, 10.30am and 1.30pm.
PRICE: £15, under 16s £9.
BOX OFFICE: 01332 255800.
See the original article on the THIS IS DERBYSHIRE website
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Age-old romance for the present day
THE bittersweet tale of star-crossed lovers Romeo & Juliet is perhaps the most famous romance ever told, as popular today as it was in the 17th century.
Shakespeare's timeless tragedy has been retold in countless ways over the decades, but even the visionary playwright himself would have struggled to envisage its transformation into the fun-filled, rock 'n' roll extravaganza soon coming to Harlow courtesy of a national children's theatre group.
Bringing the Bard's play up-to-date with an effervescent young cast, award-winning production company Shakespeare 4 Kidz promise to shake up Shakespeare and breathe new life into his 400-year-old play.
S4K ditches the period costume and strips back the flowery language to create something truly modern and unique.
Rebellious Romeo Montague and his friends decide to gatecrash the rival Capulet family's ball to stir up some trouble, but instead the teenage tearaway falls head-over-heels with the enemy's daughter Juliet.
When their forbidden love and clandestine marriage becomes public, the rival gangs turn to violence in the streets, two young men die and Romeo is exiled, leaving his new love pining for his return.
Desperate to be reunited, she enlists the help of kindly Friar Lawrence and together they hatch a fare-devil plan involving a dangerous potion.
In a breathless race against time and fate, can Romeo make it back to his bride's side before it is too late?
Director Julian Chenery told the Star he hopes S4K's adaptation will encourage youngsters to take the first step towards learning more about Britain's most famous literary son.
"We've broken down some of the language barriers and updated the setting, but the key aspects of the story are still intact," he said.
"The story remains so relevant to society today - it deals with knife crime, teenage love, politics and religion - and our adaptation makes this timeless tale accessible to everyone."
Romeo & Juliet arrives at The Playhouse on March 17. The two showings are at 1.30pm and 7.30pm and tickets are £14 (£9 for children) from (01279) 431945.
See the original article on the Harlow Star website
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2010 Auditions
Audition information - S4K's A Midsummer Night's Dream
Please find below information about our Dream auditions.
FIRST ROUND AUDITIONS HAVE NOW TAKEN PLACE
First Round auditions took place in Central London in May. Many thanks to all those who attended.
RECALLS
Recalls will take place at THE BARN THEATRE, OXTED on MONDAY 19 JULY 2010.
Successful auditionees will be contacted during June.
S4K's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM - UK & International Theatre tour
The show is produced for Shakespeare 4 Kidz by Julian and Carolyn Chenery, directed by Joseph Fowler and designed by Jaimie Todd.
Rehearsals are expected to commence on Tuesday 31 August in Oxted, Surrey - close to the Company Production Office.
The show opens at the Palace Theatre, Mansfield on Tuesday 14 September and runs to the end of November; after a break for the pantomime season, the International Tour will embrace an extended tour of the UAE and Gulf states; then continue back in the UK until the end of February 2011.
All Company Members will be expected to be available for both the autumn and spring sections of the tour.
The S4K Production Office contact number is 01342 894548
(Our payscale is in line with current Equity rates. In addition, company members receive hotel accommodation/breakfast, and travel around the UK is provided in corporate-style cruiser coach.)
S4K's HAMLET - Movie/ S4K's ROMEO AND JULIET - Movie / S4K's MACBETH - Movie
Casting information for the first films in the S4K movie series will appear here in April 2010.
Casting is currently expected to commence during SUMMER 2010
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Shakespeare 4 Kidz News