Shakespeare. A nightmare that I never expected to endure again once high-school had finished. Last night, however, I had the pleasure of experiencing Shakespeare in a very innovative and entertaining way.
BBC and St Aidans’ joined forces to create a great portrayal and performance of a collaboration of several famous Shakespearean scenes that not only encompassed the tragedy and emotion of Shakespeare’s plays, but also provided a witty, fun and understandable adaptation. These were then linked together, and presented in a chronological order to create an entirely new story that switched between Shakespearean times and the present.
As far as school plays go, their presentation was of a very high standard. The atmosphere was created through smoke machines and decorations from the moment you came near the stage. What was most impressive, however, was that they allowed the cast to mingle with the audience, as long as they were in character. Several times they ran through the audience, or spoke rhetorically to surrounding spectators, in turn, adding to the shock and humor. The use of many props and gestures further enhanced the meaning behind the words, which in turn, engaged an audience of all ages by making Shakespeare relatable.
In the free brochure handed out at the start, I was surprised to find that many of my high-school friends had actually contributed highly to the composing of the script. Obviously, they hadn’t rewritten the famous Shakespearean scenes, but the joining sections were completely original. By the end of this marvelous performance, I was completely satisfied with the event overall. It was cleverly portrayed so I could fully understand, it was a completely original play written by cast members
and best of all, it left me in stitches!