Hamlet's a hit with the kidz

To be, or not to be that was the question for more than 5,000 Dubai youngsters who put the latest offering from Shakespeare 4 Kidz under the microscope.

Following eight successful months on tour in the UK, Shakespeare 4 Kidz — or S4K as it's becoming better known — brought Hamlet to the UAE.

The five-star hit, starring Paul Parris as Hamlet, with Jason Lee Scott as Claudius, Pippa Jeronimo as Gertrude and Antony Stuart-Hicks as Polonius, hit the stage in Dubai this week as part of a Gulf tour which also included shows in Bahrain, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

Julian Chenery, co-founder of S4K and director of the show, said the response in Dubai had once again been outstanding.

He said: “We love coming to Dubai. To expand the tour to other venues in the Middle East is great for us and the future generation of Shakespeare lovers.

“The cast and crew have met some wonderful people on this trip and we will keep our fingers crossed that we are invited back to Dubai soon.''

Always a huge hit with parents and children alike, S4K made history in UAE when the cast performed A Midsummer Night's Dream to 12 sell-out crowds in Dubai and Sharjah on its debut tour in 2007.

With bright costumes, clever dialogue, constant easy-to-understand narrative, not to mention the music, the cast of S4K captured the attention of the entire auditorium from the moment the curtain went back.

Catchy tunes

A perfect mixture of laughs, old English, famous lines and catchy tunes kept almost every eye on the stage for just under two hours.

Chenery added: “Bringing the company to Dubai for the very first time in 2007 and seeing the reactions of the audiences to our work was amazing but seeing it for a second time is even better. It is exciting to see our work, which is so popular in the UK, proving to be even more so for international audiences in the UAE.''

There was little wriggling or rustling of papers, bags or anything else a child can pick up to keep them entertained. Instead, all eyes were on the stage following a well-planned journey through one of Shakespeares most famous plays.

‘Eternally grateful'

“HSBC, the sponsors of this show are the real ones to thank. Without them we wouldn't have the opportunity to change the lives of these kids. It's a big multi-national coporation but someone, somewhere in a small office had the foresight to help out and touch the lives of children in the UAE in a way which could affect them forever and for that we are eternally grateful, said Chenery.

“In the UK, every school child has to study Shakespeare. Fortunately, because he is such a famous writer most people in the world have heard of him. The great thing about working in countries where the study of Shakespeare is not compulsory is that the audiences are more ready to be entertained rather than having to see the play because they have to sit an exam on it.''

What the kids thought

Youngsters from Dubai GEMS Private School watched the first performance on Monday and left the theatre satisfied customers.

- Radhika Iyer, 12, said: “I thought the dialogue was very well-written and it kept you entertained throughout the whole show. There wasn't a boring moment that I can remember. It was also very funny which made it really good.''

- Alisha Aroor, 12, said: “I thought it was great entertainment and I really enjoyed it. I have read one other Shakespeare play before but it was much better to see it brought to life on stage. They made the whole theatre laugh and that must be quite a challenge. I am glad we were able to come and experience Hamlet.''

- Haiqa Anwar, 12, said: “Entertaining, interesting and humorous. It has definitely made me want to read more Shakespeare.''
- Mariam and Maseerah, both 13, said: “We thought the show was wonderful and we can't wait for them to come back with the next one.''

Marium added: “I have never read Shakespeare before but now I plan to read more because I really enjoyed the dialogue.''

Stage struck

Special needs children enjoyed a morning of extra special fun with S4K

The crowd erupted and cheered with jubilation as the Queen of Africa finally agreed to marry the Duke of Dubai. But young Fatima, playing the Queen at this year's Shakespeare 4 Kidz Hamlet workshop, didn't make it easy for Rafay, taking on the role of the Duke.

He had to bring her gold, the finest silks from Thailand and exotic animals before she agreed to the proposal. She even sent two of her finest swordsmen to fight the Duke's men — a battle which was won fair and square by the desperate duke.

So it was happy endings all round at the workshop at the Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs run by two of Shakespeare 4 Kidz's (S4K) biggest personalities, Alan Clarke and Sarah Gimblett.

Fits of giggles

A little shy at first, the youngsters took a while to get into the spirit of the action but it wasn't long before Alan's comical facial expressions and over-the-top actions had the children rolling in the aisles and queuing up to take the next spot on the stage.

The group performed a number of fictional stories which saw them running, jumping, making noises, copying lines and of course, wearing bright costumes.

The dynamic duo from S4K used fans and spray guns to simulate wind and rain, a move which naturally had the children in fits of giggles.

Teacher Aswathy Mathew said: “This workshop is absolutely wonderful for the children. It is jam-packed with multi-sensory movements for them and they enjoy themselves so much. I have to congratulate the guys from S4K because in just 20 minutes they had already captured the children and had them eating from the palm of their hands.

“That is easy with school children but with special needs youngsters it is always more of a challenge. The children have loved every minute of the session and we wish they could come more often. They are all performers at heart and I think they will miss the stage after this.''