ALPHA ROMEO

EVEN IF YOU know absolutely nothing about Shakespeare you will have heard of Romeo and Juliet. The story of the star-crossed lovers, it appears, is as old as time.

It’s been retold in countless ways since Shakespeare first put his play on stage over 400 years ago, but never has it been told in the same fun-filled, rock and roll way which Shakespeare 4 Kidz (S4K) promise. This performance is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet written by S4K’s Julian Chenery and Matt Gimblett. The first performance was at the Barn Theatre, Oxted in July 1997. The show then appeared at the Edinburgh Festival in 1999; and has subsequently toured the UK to acclaimed reviews in 1999 and 2005.

Shakespeare 4 Kidz is an award-winning British theatre company which specialises in exciting, visually stunning adaptations of classic Shakespeare stories. It blends the most famous passages of original text with modern language, music, song and dance to create magical plays which are easy to understand.

They are designed to be entertaining as well as educational, meaning that children as young as eight can enjoy them. And adults who have been put off Shakespeare because of the boring lessons at school will find S4K’s works shake up Shakespeare, reveal all the fun in them and tell the tales clearly and concisely.

In the S4K version of Romeo and Juliet all the original ingredients are retained.

The Montagues and the Capulets are proud Italian families – but great enemies. One night Romeo Montague and his friends decide to gatecrash the Capulet ball and that is where the couple fall head over heels in love.

From then on it’s a roller-coaster ride. Juliet’s parents plan an arranged marriage for her to Count Paris as they don’t know that she has secretly married Romeo, the rival gangs turn to violence in the streets, two young men die and Romeo is banished.

Juliet and Friar Lawrence hatch a dare-devil plan involving a dangerous potion. In a desperate race against time and fate, can Romeo make it back to his bride’s side before it is too late?

Love and hate, laughter and tears, politics and religion, power and passion – S4K’s Romeo and Juliet has got them all – and in a way everyone can understand and relate to.

The show makes a perfect introduction to the play for people of all ages and a solid base for anyone wanting to go on to study it in greater depth.

To reinforce the stage show S4K offers exciting workshops for schools to give pupils an even greater insight into the story, its themes and its characters. And with Romeo and Juliet as one of the two compulsory plays to be studied by all Key Stage 3 English students in England, now there are even more reasons to take your kids to see S4K’s Romeo and Juliet.

To get you even further in the mood City Times brings you the show’s choreographer, Joseph Fowler, to reveal the standard of the performer behind the scenes.

Joseph was trained as a classical dancer at both the Royal Ballet lower school (White Lodge) and the Royal Ballet upper school (Talgarth Road).As a student he had the opportunity to perform at the Royal Opera House, initially as a soldier in The Nutcracker and then study with the Royal Ballet Company. Upon graduation from the Royal Ballet school he went on to perform with some of the most prestigious international dance companies in Europe: The Royal Ballet Company (Covent Garden London) five years as both corps de ballet and soloist with The Zurich Ballet, Switzerland, Le ballet Roland Petit, and many others.

Joseph has worked and collaborated with some the world’s most famous choreographers and directors including: Mats Ek, Jiri Kyllian, Hans Van Manen, Amanda Miller,William Forsyth, Maurice Bejart, Heinz Spoerli, Karine Saporta, Ed Wubbe, Roland Petit and Ann Reinking.

“Parallel to my career as a dancer I have always been extremely interested in choreography and stage direction,” Joseph revealed. “I have choreographed and co-directed numerous international dance and theatre companies including The Zurich Ballet, The Royal Swedish Ballet, The Royal Ballet London as well as for independent companies, special events, television, cinema and video clips. I have also choreographed and directed for Disney and for international performers such as dame Shirley Bassey.”

Joseph’s work has been performed all over Europe and in the US. In that time he has received several awards including The Sir Kenneth MacMillan award for outstanding achievement, The Joan Lawson Award, The James Monahan Award, The Time Award and two Golden Artist Awards. Joseph is now based in Paris where he is Resident director/Assistant director at the Théâtre du Chatelet and dance advisor for La Comédie Française.

“My current projects are this international tour with the theatre company Shakespeare 4 Kidz which is going great. Everyone is so talented! Then I shall be choreographing a new musical production for Equinox Celebrity Cruises USA and I shall be assistant director for the creation of Hello Dolly in London. I shall continue my collaboration with Shakespeare 4 Kidz later this year with the creation of the new production of Macbeth. I am thrilled to be coming to Dubai as this will be my first time and I hope that this trip will be the beginning of new and exciting projects in the Emirates.”

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