Shakespeare 4 Kidz News

NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE, REGENT THEATRE, STOKE AND LINCOLN THEATRE ROYAL ADDED

The full autumn tour dates for S4K's A Midsummer Night's Dream have been announced.

The three month autumn section of the UK tour opens at S4K's traditional starting venue, the Palace Theatre Mansfield, on Tuesday 14 September, where it will play until Friday17 September. September dates include return visits to the Coronation Hall Ulverston, the Middlesbrough Theatre (another week-long run), the Palace Theatre Manchester, St George's Hall Bradford and the Sunderland Empire.

October sees the company return to the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday 14th. Other venues include Sands Centre Carlisle, Radlett Centre, Theatre Royal Margate, Dorking Halls, The Orchard Theatre Dartford, and the Queen's Theatre Barnstaple.

In November, S4K return to the New Wimbledon Theatre after a two-year gap, and make a first ever visit to the Lincoln Theatre Royal.

November visits also include the Assembly Halls Tunbridge Wells, Cambridge Corn Exchange, Ashcroft Theatre Croydon, The Castle Wellingborough, Alexandra Theatre Birmingham, Wyvern Theatre Swindon, Pavilion Theatre Worthing, White Rock Theatre Hastings, Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage, Harlow Playhouse, De Montfort Hall Leicester and the King's Lynn Corn Exchange.

The autumn tour ends for teh Christmas break at the Doncaster Dome on Thursday 25 November.

Most children's tickets are £10 and most adult ticket prices are £16; teachers go free (1 teacher for every 10 "kidz" seats)

A full tour list can be found on this link or by visiting www.shakespeare4kidz.com/theatre

FROM THE GIBRALTAR CHRONICLE

Shakespeare 4 Kidz are back this week with a child-friendly musical version of the Scottish Play – Macbeth. Joining the cast on stage are two young budding local actors Alex Vallejo from St Anne’s and Rory Clark from St Joseph’s who will share the role of McDuff’s son over the next four performances.

Some 3,500 pupils expected to see the production. Written and directed by Chief executive Julian Chenery, he told the Chronicle, they always selected young actors from the town they were performing in proving a fantastic experience for both cast, young actors, and the audience. 20 children auditioned for the role locally. Both Rory or Alex admitted the language of Shakespeare was very different, and although it had not been easy had enjoyed learning their lines, and were looking forward to the experience of being on stage with professional actors.

First on stage today and tomorrow is Rory who admits is nervous but enjoying the moment knowing his friends will find it cool. Rory attends Stagecoach. Alex takes over on Thursday and Friday. He says he loves acting and feels just great about getting back on stage (he recently performed in the very successful St Anne’s school production of ‘El Tishe’ in the role of Mr Britto), and worked with Sylvia Young last summer. Both boys on the We Care project and said they aspired to be as good as the actors he would be sharing the stage with this week.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE ON THE GIBRALTAR CHRONICLE WEBSIT E

The UK and International tour of S4K's Macbeth ends its 2009/10 tour on the Rock of Gibraltar next week.

Jason Lee Scott returns as Macbeth with Claire Marlowe continuing in her role of Lady Macbeth. Other S4K favourites set to return are Antony Stuart Hicks as King Duncan, and Tom Yeates as Macduff.

West End favourite Stephen McGlynn - recently seen as Cosmo Brown in Singin' in the Rain - makes his S4K debut as Banquo.

S4K's Macbeth will play eight performances at the John Mackintosh Hall as part of the Gibraltar Spring Festival.

CLICK HERE to see David Jays article in full on the Sunday Times website

Film Producer Mark Thomas and S4K's Julian Chenery met the Sunday Times at BAFTA in May to talk about the Elsinore Films project and the 3D movies of the Shakespeare 4 Kidz canon.

The full article can be seen on the Sunday Times website by clicking the links - here is an excerpt of what JC and Mark had to say:

One performing company that is definitely making movies is Shakespeare 4 Kidz, known for music-theatre versions of the plays. It is in preproduction on a series of six film musicals, including a Hamlet directed by the playwright John Godber. “I actually am not a huge Shakespeare fan,” the company’s founder, Julian Chenery, confides disarmingly. “But we’ve got a chance to work in 3D, an evolving technology that adds texture and colour. We’re working on a slate of projects that has longevity and engages young people.”

Chenery and his producer, Mark Thomas, have been prompted by the medium’s immersive quality and increasing affordability. They hope to straddle entertainment and education; as Chenery observes, there’s a huge international school audience studying Shakespeare, offering “an opportunity to make them enjoy it instead of endure it. It’s quite clear to me that audiences are engaging with 3D and they want more”. He believes we will be watching the 2012 Olympics on 3D screens.

Thomas will test investor appetite for the films in Cannes, where about 65 3D films are scheduled, most made outside America. Although current content is aimed at family audiences, enthusiasts see no barriers.

CLICK HERE to see David Jays article in full on the Sunday Times website

CLICK HERE to go to the Elsinore Films website