Shakespeare 4 Kidz News

FROM TIME OUT DUBAI
by Karen Iley

BARD AND GUTS

Shakespeare 4 Kidz brings the gory tale of Macbeth to the UAE. Karen Iley caught up with the players

Shakespeare is a little like broccoli – at least as far as kids are concerned. They approach him and his work in the same way they do the gaseous green vegetable – with reluctance, suspicion and a lot of groaning. His plays are impossible to understand and nippers would rather have their toe-nails individually pulled out than read one (‘Andrew, you’re line 16 to 20’) or, heaven forbid, sit through one in the theatre. Right? Wrong. We learned that last year British theatre company Shakespeare 4 Kidz, or S4K for short, brought their rollicking, musical version of Romeo & Juliet to the country, leaving pint-sized theatre-goers wide-eyed and agog at the rock ’n’ roll interpretation of the bard’s most famous love story.

We were delighted to hear S4K was returning to the Middle East, but when we they said they were bringing Macbeth to our stages, we were, we confess, a little skeptical. Transforming Shakespeare’s complex work into something understandable and enjoyable for kids is obviously something at which the group excels, but is putting on this blood-soaked story of ambition, murder and madness just asking for double trouble?

Perhaps not. The tale of the power-mad Scottish warrior and his evil, neurotic wife, encompasses black magic, weird witches, prophecies, and a forest that moves. It will no doubt thrill any kid who delights in the gruesome and revels in the bloodthirsty (most kids these days seem to enjoy taking a trip to the dark side). In fact, for a generation raised on Hogwarts, Macbeth may even make Harry Potter look tame.

As the play’s director and S4K founder Julian Chenery says, ‘It’s scary and spooky, but we haven’t yet heard of any kids having night terrors after seeing our Macbeth.’ He adds, ‘Macbeth is about how this bloke gets overwhelmed by power and glory, and what he does to achieve his aims. It’s about wicked people doing dreadful things, and everyone loves a bit of blood. Boys especially – they love a good sword fight and a
bit of murder.’

Chenery lists a few ‘lovely gory bits’ such as the appearance of a blood-drenched Banquo’s ghost, and, our personal favourite, the wonderfully brutal ‘severed head on a stick moment’, when brave Macduff trots in with the slain Macbeth. But Chenery is keen to stress there’s no gratuitous violence. ‘It’s not Inglourious Basterds,’ he says. ‘King Duncan’s murder happens off stage in the original play and does so in our version. Likewise, Macbeth is beheaded off-stage. We adjust the gruesome bits to suit the fact that our audience is predominantly school children, but to leave them out altogether would betray the intention of William Shakespeare.’

S4K pares down the original prose, but keeps all the memorable quotes (‘Double, double toil and trouble’ and ‘Out, damned spot!’ are all there), adding a bit of modern language, a hefty dose of humour (apparently there are a few so-bad-they’re-good knock knock jokes thrown in) some catchy tunes (‘Banquo Must Go’ and ‘How Do You Murder a King?’), as well as a few raucous rounds of Celtic dancing.

Chenery adds, ‘There is plenty of atmosphere – lighting, sound effects and the witches – they are the prime movers on the dark side, and their costumes are brilliant. But the songs and dance certainly lighten things up. There is a brilliant dance sequence opening the second half, and the porter, who Shakespeare intended to provide the comic interlude, is extremely funny. Everyone loves him.’

Big and bold, this is a horror story, a tragic play and a pantomime rolled into one. But best of all, the music and movement combo provides a wordless subtitling useful for any kid (or adult, for that matter) struggling to follow the convoluted plot. Go and see it – if you dare.

By Karen Iley
Time Out Dubai, 25 February 2010

CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS ARTICLE ON THE TIME OUT DUBAI WEBSITE

Dozens of local schoolchildren turned up at our auditions at DUCTAC, Mall of the Emirates for the chance to play the Son of Macduff in our forthcoming production of S4K's MACBETH.

TEN lucky youngsters will share the important role of the pivotal part of Macduff's son who is required to have a brief conversation with his mother before being chased off-stage and murdered! Auditionees represented countries from the four corners of the globe including Dubai, Australia, America, Denmark, France, India, Ireland and the UK.

Julian Chenery, Executive Producer and Director of the show said: "The breadth of talent on display was outstanding, and no doubt the youngsters will look forward to performing in front of their schools, families and friends."

FROM TIME OUT DUBAI

Before you start ringing the local authorities, read on. ‘The Scottish Play’ is coming to Dubai next month, courtesy of Shakespeare 4 Kidz, the British theatre company which wowed us last year with its updated, musical comedy version of Romeo & Juliet.

This year, they’re going all gory with S4K’s Macbeth, the ‘double double toil and trouble’ tale of how the power-mad Scottish warrior became king. Complete with a nasty, greedy wife, weird witches, gruesome ghosts and a forest that moves, this stage show promises to make Harry Potter look tame.

Best of all, though, S4K is giving local kids a chance to take part. The directors are looking for a boy aged nine to 12 years (or no more than 146cm tall to fit the costume!) to play the crucial role What could be lovelier than getting little romantics to make personalised gifts for the special people in their lives? Bead Palace is holding Valentine workshops at their Jumeirah address and at the Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates on Friday, February 12 and Saturday 13 from of Macduff’s brave son. All that’s required is a bit of brief banter before being gruesomely murdered. In the words of the bard himself, ‘Easy peasy lemon squeezy’ (mmm, maybe we’ve got that wrong...)

Fancy it? For details of auditions, email theatre@ shakespeare4kidz.com.

Macbeth is playing in Dubai, March 2010. More info next month, or check out www.shakespeare4kidz.com

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We have five pairs of Macbeth tickets to give away to readers who can answer the following correctly:

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CLICK HERE to see the origoinal articl eon the TIMEO OUT DUBAI website

FROM TIME OUT BAHRAIN

Bard and guts

Shakespeare 4 Kidz brings the gory tale of Macbeth to the UAE. Karen Iley caught up with the players Discuss this article

Shakespeare is a little like broccoli – at least as far as kids are concerned. They approach him and his work in the same way they do the gaseous green vegetable – with reluctance, suspicion and a lot of groaning. His plays are impossible to understand and nippers would rather have their toe-nails individually pulled out than read one (‘Andrew, you’re line 16 to 20’) or, heaven forbid, sit through one in the theatre. Right? Wrong. We learned that last year British theatre company Shakespeare 4 Kidz, or S4K for short, brought their rollicking, musical version of Romeo & Juliet to the country, leaving pint-sized theatre-goers wide-eyed and agog at the rock ’n’ roll interpretation of the bard’s most famous love story.

We were delighted to hear S4K was returning to the Middle East, but when we they said they were bringing Macbeth to our stages, we were, we confess, a little skeptical. Transforming Shakespeare’s complex work into something understandable and enjoyable for kids is obviously something at which the group excels, but is putting on this blood-soaked story of ambition, murder and madness just asking for double trouble?

Perhaps not. The tale of the power-mad Scottish warrior and his evil, neurotic wife, encompasses black magic, weird witches, prophecies, and a forest that moves. It will no doubt thrill any kid who delights in the gruesome and revels in the bloodthirsty (most kids these days seem to enjoy taking a trip to the dark side). In fact, for a generation raised on Hogwarts, Macbeth may even make Harry Potter look tame.

As the play’s director and S4K founder Julian Chenery says, ‘It’s scary and spooky, but we haven’t yet heard of any kids having night terrors after seeing our Macbeth.’ He adds, ‘Macbeth is about how this bloke gets overwhelmed by power and glory, and what he does to achieve his aims. It’s about wicked people doing dreadful things, and everyone loves a bit of blood. Boys especially – they love a good sword fight and a
bit of murder.’

Chenery lists a few ‘lovely gory bits’ such as the appearance of a blood-drenched Banquo’s ghost, and, our personal favourite, the wonderfully brutal ‘severed head on a stick moment’, when brave Macduff trots in with the slain Macbeth. But Chenery is keen to stress there’s no gratuitous violence. ‘It’s not Inglourious Basterds,’ he says. ‘King Duncan’s murder happens off stage in the original play and does so in our version. Likewise, Macbeth is beheaded off-stage. We adjust the gruesome bits to suit the fact that our audience is predominantly school children, but to leave them out altogether would betray the intention of William Shakespeare.’

S4K pares down the original prose, but keeps all the memorable quotes (‘Double, double toil and trouble’ and ‘Out, damned spot!’ are all there), adding a bit of modern language, a hefty dose of humour (apparently there are a few so-bad-they’re-good knock knock jokes thrown in) some catchy tunes (‘Banquo Must Go’ and ‘How Do You Murder a King?’), as well as a few raucous rounds of Celtic dancing.

Chenery adds, ‘There is plenty of atmosphere – lighting, sound effects and the witches – they are the prime movers on the dark side, and their costumes are brilliant. But the songs and dance certainly lighten things up. There is a brilliant dance sequence opening the second half, and the porter, who Shakespeare intended to provide the comic interlude, is extremely funny. Everyone loves him.’

Big and bold, this is a horror story, a tragic play and a pantomime rolled into one. But best of all, the music and movement combo provides a wordless subtitling useful for any kid (or adult, for that matter) struggling to follow the convoluted plot. Go and see it – if you dare.

Catch S4K’s Macbeth at Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai. School performances at 8.45am and 11.45am on March 15-18 and public shows on March 19 at 2pm and 5.30pm. Tickets cost Dhs150 for adults, Dhs120 for kids, available from www.timeouttickets.com.

By Karen Iley
Time Out Bahrain, 25 February 2010

CLICK HERE to see the original article on the Time Out Kids website