S4K's Hamlet a Gulf Hit
The Shakespeare 4 Kidz Theatre Company known for their easy-to-understand musical adaptations of the Bard's classics have just returned from a "triumphant" tour of the Arabian Gulf with their latest success S4K's Hamlet The Musical.
The show written by Shakespeare 4 Kidz creatives Julian Chenery and Matt Gimblett is the sixth and most recent Shakespeare musical in the company's repertoire, which first appeared on our stages in 1997 with S4K's A Midsummer Night's Dream (reviewed by the BTG at the 1998 Edinburgh Fringe).
In the UK, the show was The Times "Number One Show for Kids" in November 2007 and has regularly received four and five star reviews.
The day after the UK tour closed at the Liverpool Empire in April, Elsinore was transported three thousand miles away to the desert sands of Bahrain, Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
The company's previous visit to Dubai and Sharjah with S4K's Dream in
2007 was a huge hit in the newly opened Centrepoint Theatre @ DUCTAC in
Dubai, and this year's tour included new destinations in Bahrain and
Abu Dhabi.
Highlights of the 2008 Gulf Tour include
* Eleven of the fourteen shows were completely sold out
* All shows in Dubai sold out
* Largest ever attendance for a theatre show at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi
* Company's first ever shows in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi
* S4K’s Workshop team also delivered twenty Hamlet workshops to local schools as part of the visit
The Gulf News reported: "The play is a triumph with astounding
performances by the entire cast. The company delivers a vibrant,
easy-to-follow version of Hamlet while managing not to over-sanitise
the production so adults and those that have studied the script can get
something out of it too. Huge congratulations have to go out to Paul
Parris who plays the lead and Antony Stuart-Hicks who plays Polonius
for their brilliant portrayals and managing to keep children as young
as four on the edge of their seats."
Also from Gulf News …What the kids thought
Youngsters from Dubai GEMS Private School watched the first performance on Monday and left the theatre satisfied customers.
* Radhika Iyer, 12, said, "I thought the dialogue was very
well-written and it kept you entertained throughout the whole show.
There wasn't a boring moment that I can remember. It was also very
funny which made it really good."
* Alisha Aroor, 12, said, "I thought it was great entertainment and
I really enjoyed it. I have read one other Shakespeare play before but
it was much better to see it brought to life on stage. They made the
whole theatre laugh and that must be quite a challenge. I am glad we
were able to come and experience Hamlet."
* Haiqa Anwar, 12, said, "Entertaining, interesting and humorous. It has definitely made me want to read more Shakespeare."
* Mariam and Maseerah, both 13, said, "We thought the show was
wonderful and we can't wait for them to come back with the next one.
Mariam added, "I have never read Shakespeare before but now I plan to
read more because I really enjoyed the dialogue."
The Khaleej Times said: "The supporting cast never missed a beat,
delivering lines such as, 'Are you finished? No, I'm Danish,' with just
enough self-awareness and tongue in cheek to make it absolutely
hilarious. A larger than expected cast made for a very realistic and
professional production akin to ones seen in Europe and the US. This
production is therefore one-of-a-kind in this region and should not be
missed …"
Shakespeare 4 Kidz International Touring is steadily increasing: the
2009 Gulf Tour is expanding to almost four weeks to include Bahrain,
Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi along with new destinations Qatar and
Oman. Asian countries are set to include India, Hong Kong and
Singapore, with North America lining up to take S4K to New York,
Pittsburgh and Chicago.
Director Julian Chenery added, "The joyous laughter, rapt audiences and
standing ovations we encountered in the UAE are living proof that our
work is truly international. We are genuinely beginning to fulfil our
goal to bring the world of William Shakespeare to the young people of
the world."
Read the original article on the BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE website
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