'All The World's Our Stage' Shakespeare Youth Drama Programme

日期: 02/11/2022

'All The World's Our Stage' Shakespeare Youth Drama Programme

 

Have you heard of Shakespeare4All (S4A)? S4A is one of Hong Kong’s leading performance arts learning organisations. It is a registered charity founded in 2003 with the purpose of building fluency and confidence in English through drama, performing Shakespearean plays as well as community and school projects and workshops. Shakespeare4All came to our school with their Touring Radio Show of the classic Shakespearean comedy ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ on 14 October 2022 (Friday). 

 

The show is an introduction to William Shakespeare’s work through the guise of six very flawed voice actors on the set of a live broadcasting radio studio in 1935, London. The P.5s became the live studio audience and during the performance, they had the chance to step in and take on minor roles, such as creating sound effects and interacting with the actors. 

When we arrived in the hall, we were greeted by the cast who ushered us in, dressed in their 1930s costumes.  There was a full 1930s radio show backdrop so you felt like you had gone back in time. There was a table full of bits and bobs that were to be used to make sound effects, such as a coconut for the clip-clopping of a horse, chimes for a magical sound effect, and a couple of whoopee cushions for jokes.

 

The students were very enthusiastic and eager to take part. A lucky few got to get up and go on stage to take part in the show, making sound effects, reading lines and talking with the actors. ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream’ can be challenging to follow and the cast did a good job making it funny and interesting through their acting skills and interaction with the students who seemed to really enjoy it. Some of the P.5s wrote about their experience at the performance. 

 

1…2…3… Shakespeare!