FROM THE SALFORD ADVERTISER

Knock knock jokes aren't what you usually find in a Shakespeare performance, but this was no ordinary play. Some traditionalists might balk at the thought of such jokes appearing in one of the Bard's tales, especially one of his best-loved tragedies, Macbeth.
 
But this was no ordinary production of 'the Scottish play.'
 
Shakespeare 4 Kidz have been performing the play since 2000 and last month brought it to the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
 
The production have been brought modernised and given a musical twist to hold children's attention and help them understand the plot of murder and revenge.
 
But before traditionalists despair, there's plenty of original dialogue and all the famous lines are still there - 'Out damned spot', 'Is this a dagger which I see before me' and 'Double double toil and trouble'. Although I doubt Shakespeare came up with: 'Knock Knock', 'Who's there?' 'Cargo', 'Cargo who?', 'Car go beep beep.'
 
But the jokes are brilliantly played and offer some light relief for the children as they come right after the gruesome murder of King Duncan.
 
The creepy witches are also a highlight of the show as they cackle around the cauldron scaring the adults as much as the kids.
 
The plot of the Scottish warrior who, egged on by the prophecies of the witches and the ambitions of his evil wife, removes every obstacle in his path until he can seize the throne himself, is also retained in full.
 
Overall the whole show was well acted, funny, scary and thoroughly enjoyable for the whole family - maybe a bit surprising considering they've all had their fair share of the famous curse.
 
Julian Chenery, director, said ''In the autumn of 2000 we had incessant rain for three months which affected all of our get-ins and get-outs; a national fuel strike which made it impossible to move the production around the UK; the actor playing Banquo hit his head on the windscreen of the cast coach; the actor playing King Duncan went down with Bell's Palsy making half his face freeze and one of the stage crew walked into a door and fractured her skull.
 
''Apart from that the show was a huge hit and has remained immensely popular ever since.''
 
S4K are touring around the country with Macbeth until November. For more information visit: www.shakespeare4kidz.com.
 
Kathryn Ryan