Award-winning theatre company Shakespeare 4 Kidz brings its adaptation of 'Hamlet' to the UAE. SHAKESPEARE 4 Kidz returned to DUCTAC at Mall of the Emirates for the second consecutive year after a tremendously successful run of A Midsummer Night's Dream last April.

Synopsis of 'Hamlet'

'Prince Hamlet has returned home to attend his father's funeral... and his mother's marriage to his Uncle Claudius, who has now become king! So when Hamlet meets the ghost of his dead father, he sets out upon a mysterious story of murder, intrigue and revenge - even pretending to be mad - all the time trying to prove once and for all that his uncle is the murderer,' is the synopsis given by theatre group.

Predominantly for the school market but open to everyone, this year's Hamlet immediately sold out its Dubai performances but there is still a chance to grab tickets for Abu Dhabi.

Fun-filled adaptations of classics

Shakespeare 4 Kidz is an award-winning theatre company whose easy-to-understand, fun-filled musical adaptations of the Bard's classics have delighted audiences for over ten years. Their version of Hamlet, which has been on tour across the UK since September 2007, was voted the 'Number One show for Kids' by The Times newspaper in London last November and has received five star reviews in the press and an enthusiastic reception wherever it has played.

Astounding performances

Hosted by HSBC, 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 Anthony Stuart-Hicks who plays Polonius for their brilliant portrayals and managing to keep children as young as four on the edge of their seats.

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 if you wish to get your children into the theatre early on.

'We are here to entertain'

Julian Chenery, Founder and Chief Executive Director of Shakespeare 4 Kidz, spoke to City Times about the objectives the company and the plays it produces have set out to achieve.

'Firstly, we are here to entertain. Shakespeare is used as an educational tool but theatre should primarily be here for entertainment,' he began. 'What we are trying to do here is get kids into the theatre. Years ago plays used to be boring, let's face it, but now if we can get them through the doors and enjoying themselves then that will have a knock on effect of how they spend their free time. I'm all for video games and TV but there should be time for everything. If we can get them in and really harvest an interest in Shakespeare and care about the outcome of these characters then they'll go home and want to read more. When they come to study it later on in their school career they will also know what's going on. Nothing will give me more pleasure than when I take my 10-year-old son to see the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Hamlet and he will know exactly what's going on and thus will enjoy it even more because he has seen and understood the Shakespeare 4 Kidz version.'

Starting young

We asked what age range the plays try and target. Julian replied, 'We have children as young as four come in up to around GCSE age brought in by the schools. The young ones see it as a good day out and gives them a good introduction to the Bard. The children today really got into it. I heard a few of them scream 'don't do it!' as Gertrude was about to drink from the poisoned goblet. The 15- and 16-year-olds can see it and relate it to the original. Maybe it will clear up any misunderstandings. The hardest thing with Shakespeare is trying to get your head round the language. Understanding is the key to enjoyment and that is where we help.'

Promoting English heritage

Shakespeare 4 Kidz has no government backing despite being a promoter of the greatest dramatist the Western world has known and of English heritage. 'I'd like to give a huge thanks to our main sponsor HSBC. Without their help this would not be possible. Sponsors do not have to give ultimately that much but what they do give takes the project from just under the line of viability to just over it. When people think of England they think of double decker buses, Beefeaters and Shakespeare. We are taking our cultural heritage around the UK and the world. The Italians are very proud and knowledgeable about their opera, the French about their art, but ask a normal person walking down a high street in the UK to name a famous speech from Romeo and Juliet and they are stumped. Our company welcomes in all through its doors and people are not immediately at a disadvantage because the play is in modern English. It is a great introduction.'

There is a great demand for quality theatre in the region and we hope that Shakespeare 4 Kidz will continue coming here for years to come.

Click this link to read the original article on the Khaleej Times website

What they say about us:
"My 7 year old was riveted by the whole thing. But what struck me was how much I got as an adult out of the performance."