The British Theatre Guide: S4K's Hamlet a Gulf Hit

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Dateline: 7th May, 2008

S4K's Hamlet a Gulf Hit

The Shakespeare 4 Kidz Theatre Company known for their easy-to-understand musical adaptations of the Bard's classics have just returned from a "triumphant" tour of the Arabian Gulf with their latest success S4K's Hamlet The Musical.

The show written by Shakespeare 4 Kidz creatives Julian Chenery and Matt Gimblett is the sixth and most recent Shakespeare musical in the company's repertoire, which first appeared on our stages in 1997 with S4K's A Midsummer Night's Dream (reviewed by the BTG at the 1998 Edinburgh Fringe).

In the UK, the show was The Times "Number One Show for Kids" in November 2007 and has regularly received four and five star reviews.

The day after the UK tour closed at the Liverpool Empire in April, Elsinore was transported three thousand miles away to the desert sands of Bahrain, Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

The company's previous visit to Dubai and Sharjah with S4K's Dream in 2007 was a huge hit in the newly opened Centrepoint Theatre @ DUCTAC in Dubai, and this year's tour included new destinations in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

Highlights of the 2008 Gulf Tour include

Eleven of the fourteen shows were completely sold out
All shows in Dubai sold out
Largest ever attendance for a theatre show at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi
Company's first ever shows in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi
S4Kâ€™s Workshop team also delivered twenty Hamlet workshops to local schools as part of the visit

The Gulf News reported: "The play is a triumph with astounding performances by the entire cast. The company delivers a vibrant, easy-to-follow version of Hamlet while managing not to over-sanitise the production so adults and those that have studied the script can get something out of it too. Huge congratulations have to go out to Paul Parris who plays the lead and Antony Stuart-Hicks who plays Polonius for their brilliant portrayals and managing to keep children as young as four on the edge of their seats."

Also from Gulf News …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. Mariam added, "I have never read Shakespeare before but now I plan to read more because I really enjoyed the dialogue."

The Khaleej Times said: "The supporting cast never missed a beat, delivering lines such as, 'Are you finished? No, I'm Danish,' with just enough self-awareness and tongue in cheek to make it absolutely hilarious. A larger than expected cast made for a very realistic and professional production akin to ones seen in Europe and the US. This production is therefore one-of-a-kind in this region and should not be missed …"

Shakespeare 4 Kidz International Touring is steadily increasing: the 2009 Gulf Tour is expanding to almost four weeks to include Bahrain, Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi along with new destinations Qatar and Oman. Asian countries are set to include India, Hong Kong and Singapore, with North America lining up to take S4K to New York, Pittsburgh and Chicago.

Director Julian Chenery added, "The joyous laughter, rapt audiences and standing ovations we encountered in the UAE are living proof that our work is truly international. We are genuinely beginning to fulfil our goal to bring the world of William Shakespeare to the young people of the world."

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