The Play's the Thing

Let's face it; getting to grips with Shakespeare isn't easy for the best of us, so imagine how hard it must be for children. Fear not, for help is at hand, thanks to Shakespeare 4 Kidz, an award-winning theatre company whose easy-to-understand adaptations of the Bard's work make Shakespeare more accessible for the little 'un in your life.

Touching down in the UAE this month, the British-based group will be presenting their child-friendly musical version of Hamlet, arguably the Bard's most famous play, in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

The visit marks a return to the Gulf for the award-winning theatre group, after wowoing audiences last year with their production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. With the adaptation of Hamlet picking up similar rave reviews in the UK - The Times newspaper recently voted the musical "The Number One Show for Kids" - it looks like audiences this year can expect more of the same. To be or not be might be the question that, hopefully, the children will soon be bale to answer.

April 27, Sharjah, Cultural Palace Theatre, 11am and 4pm. Tel (04) 3676699
April 29, Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation Theatre, 9am and 6pm. Tel (04) 3676699