Category: 91Èȱ¬
Date: 30.06.2005
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On Sunday 3 July, 10,000 young performers from 400 schools
will bring Shakespeare to life in 100 theatres across the UK - in the
biggest one-off theatre event ever staged.
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One Night of Shakespeare
- a collaboration between the 91Èȱ¬ and Shakespeare Schools Festival -
will see pupils performing their own interpretations of Shakespeare
on a professional stage, directed and produced by their teachers.
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Each of the 100 theatres will stage four different half-hour
productions from the following 13 abridged versions of Shakespeare plays:
Romeo and Juliet; Twelfth Night; Othello; As You Like It; Hamlet; The
Tempest; The Taming of the Shrew; Julius Caesar; Macbeth; A Midsummer
Night's Dream; The Winter's Tale; Richard III and The Merchant of Venice.
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In preparation for this UK-wide celebration of Shakespeare,
teachers and pupils have received intensive professional training at
director and cast workshops with the National Youth Theatre; Scottish
Youth Theatre; National Youth Theatre of Wales and the Ulster Association
of Youth Drama.
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Such is the scale of the event that the 91Èȱ¬ and Shakespeare
Schools Festival will be attempting to enter the Guinness World Records
for the most performances of Shakespeare on one night.
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Chris Grace, Director of the Shakespeare Schools Festival,
says: "This project has been fantastic in bringing Shakespeare
alive for young performers as well as boosting communication skills
and school morale.
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"The scale of this historic event is remarkable
and the work that schools have put in should make for a wonderful, rewarding
evening on 3 July."
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Sally Stokes, Producer, One Night of Shakespeare, says:
"For some schools, One Night of Shakespeare is the first time they
have tackled Shakespeare on stage; for others it's their first time
studying drama.
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"They have used their own unique interpretations
of Shakespeare's stories to explore contemporary issues that concern
them - such as racial tolerance, crime and the cult of celebrity.
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"We've got an incredible mix of stories and productions:
a Bollywood-inspired Romeo and Juliet; A Winter's Tale exploring 'chav'
culture; and The Taming of the Shrew set in a women's prison - to name
a few."
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Later in the year, some of Britain's leading television
writers are to interpret four of Shakespeare's plays in modern versions
for 91Èȱ¬ ONE: Peter Bowker sets A Midsummer Night's Dream during a weekend
in a holiday park; while Sally Wainwright's version of The Taming of
the Shrew has Kate as an opposition MP who is instructed to find herself
a husband to make her more electable.
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In David Nicholls' Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice
and Benedict are co-presenters of a popular early-evening regional television
news show; and Peter Moffat's Macbeth is transposed to the enclosed
and heated world of a top restaurant.
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For further information go to bbc.co.uk/shakespeare.
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Notes to Editors
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There will be no filming or photographs allowed during
the actual performance on the night.
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Please contact your regional publicist if you wish
to film or take photographs at dress rehearsals during the day.
