Theatre star's triumphant homecoming to city stage

A RISING theatre star from Truro is set to stage a triumphant homecoming in two performances at the Hall for Cornwall next month.

Actor Tommi Baxter-Hill has starring roles in Shakespeare 4 Kidz productions of Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest.

The company writes and designs its productions for children as young as eight to help them get to grips with the works of The Bard.

Acting since the age of six under the guidance of teacher Trevor Hitchings, who now runs Truro-based Playrite Theatre Project with Tommi's mother Jackie Hill, he moved to London at 17, where his career took off. Tommi's father is former Cornish rugby player Graham Hill.

He said: "I was taught by Trevor until I was 17 and signed with an agent straightaway when I got to London and have not been out of work since."

He has starred on stages in Shakespeare plays and pantomimes throughout the UK and this is his second year with Shakespeare 4 Kidz.

The 22-year-old, who was born and raised in Truro, added: "Doing two Shakespeare 4 Kidz plays is quite heavy going because we build the sets ourselves, help out with lighting and sound, then get a half-hour to get ready for the show.

"But I absolutely love it. It's my hobby and now my job so I get paid for it, which is brilliant."

Tommi lives in Surrey but regularly returns to Truro, and will shortly be heading overseas.

After the English tour of Shakespeare 4 Kidz, the troupe is heading off to perform in Dubai, Sharjah, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

The Hall for Cornwall performances of Romeo and Juliet take place at 1.30pm and 7.30pm on February 23 and The Tempest hits the stage at 10am and 1.30pm the next day. For further information or tickets call the box office on 01872 262466.

Click here to read the original article on line at the West Briton section of the thisiscornwall.co.uk website

Something Wicked This Way Comes . . .

The Shakespeare 4 Kidz Theatre Company are delighted to announce the return of S4K Macbeth which will tour UK theatres this autumn.

The show will open at the Palace Theatre, Mansfield on Tuesday 8th September 2009 and tour across the UK until Friday 27th November.

A full touring schedule will appear on the site shortly, but dates already scheduled for September 2009 include:

Palace Theatre, Mansfield (8th - 11th);
Palace Theatre, Manchester (14th & 15th);
Coronation Hall, Ulverston (16th); 
Sands Centre, Carlisle (17th) and
The Middlesbrough Theatre (21st - 25th).
More dates will appear here soon.

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