Stage: Shakespeare For All
The Comedy Of Errors with OnO Theatre Ensemble
There is plenty of the Bard’s work around at the moment. In an Olympic year, Shakespeare is naturally centre stage of the UK’s cultural celebrations – all 37 of his plays are making an outing in 2012. And it’s not just here; in schools, he is the world’s most studied author.
Yet in this country we can get it wrong – often our first introduction is in the English classroom and with an academic focus towards exams and tests. “It can put young people off for life,” says James Turnbull, producer for OnO Theatre Ensemble. “Focusing on the modern meaning of the (often complex) lexicography is dull and misses the point,” he adds.
Although we speak his language everyday (Shakespeare added around 1,500 words to the English language) it can appear alien when read from the page and encourage young people to think it is ‘not for them’. This is such a loss, holding back their enjoyment of the arts, speaking and listening skills and, more profoundly, their emotional and social development – his plays bring living dilemmas of love, mortality, power and citizenship to us all.
OnO Theatre’s new touring show is performing both in schools and in public venues. “We are not dumbing down his text for younger audiences – rather focusing on character, story and the comedy. We do have a new adaptation by Elizabeth Freestone, a director working with the RSC which helps that and brings it to under an hour. I’m sure some of the new words will not be fully understood – but that’s fine. As long as they are gripped by the story and find it funny – it is a comedy after all – then we are half way there to planting the seed of love for our greatest playwright. And it works – our tour last year to 7 to 9 year olds with Romeo & Juliet went down really well in schools – they loved the story, the passion and importantly ‘got’ it. We hope that this is the first of a lifetime of enriching experiences in the theatre.”
The Comedy Of Errors performs at Brighton Fringe this May for all ages. Bring your children to kick- start their passion in his work or just yourself. There’s plenty for Bard lovers new and old.
OnO Theatre Ensemble: The Comedy of Errors, Sun 13 May, 3pm;, Sat 19 May & Sun 20 May, 4.30pm,
The Warren, Russell Place (Venue 58), Brighton Fringe, www.warrenvenue.com, 01273 91 72 72
