It’s Shakespeare but this version is dream for kids

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SHAKESPEARE 4 KIDZ promises fairies and fun with a child-friendly adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which is coming to Yeovil this month.

The idea to use the original plot,characters and well known quotes from the play and combine these with modern language, music, song and dance, was born from a school production of the play in 1996.

Since then S4K has gone from strength to strength with regular UK tours and an extensive repertoire of interpretations including Hamlet and Twelfth Night.

Julian Chenery, chief executive, director and co-writer of S4K productions, said the company was set up in order to make Shakespeare easier to understand.

“We wanted to make sure children are not alienated by the stories,” he said.

“I believe learning about our cultural heritage is as important as learning about current affairs and the way the world works.”

Julian, who is looking forward to the production coming to Yeovil, said “The Dream is one of my favourites. It was our flagship show. It proved to me that we could succeed and the audience reaction is great.

“Live performance is a fantastic thing. We are in danger of losing those skills and limiting ourselves to passive entertainment. “With S4K, no two performances are the same. I hope people will watch our plays and then go on to watch the original and other Shakespeare plays.”

He adds that going from no Shakespeare to full Shakespeare is a big step. “We wanted to be the gap between the platform and the train,” he said. The company organises workshops in local schools a few weeks prior to each performance to get children involved from an early stage.

The appeal of the stage show has seen S4K travel around the globe to the likes of Dubai and Gibraltar. But for Chenery 2011 could be the year that S4K expands into movies.

“Theatre is great and very successful for us but producing copies of our productions means the shows will reach and benefit more people than they already do,” he said.

The Dream has gained a large celebrity following since its opening in September 2010, with Dame Helen Mirren describing the show as “something to be enjoyed by all age groups”.

Puck, the naughty sprite whose mischief and magic causes “no end of hilarity”, is played by Noel Andrew Harron in The Dream.

Harron is currently finishing anS4K tour in Bahrain. He has performed with the company for a number of years and is thoroughly enjoying his time as Puck. He said: “I love introducing kids to Shakespeare, knowing they are enjoying it.”

Shakespeare 4 Kidz presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Octagon Theatre, Yeovil, on Wednesday,February 16, at 10.30am and 1.30pm

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF OF THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE IN THE YEOVIL WESTERN GAZETTE