A Sad Love Story 

Shakespeare for Kidz were back in the Kingdom in January for their rendition of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. This year’s show had the entire cast play instruments live throughout the performance. The fun nature of the performance made it a perfect introduction to Shakespeare’s plays for over 1000 Infant, Junior and Senior School students who enjoyed attending such a bright, colourful and exciting performance.

The S4K Company are incredibly skilled at making Shakespeare plays relevant to audiences both young and old, and they retold the original love story of Romeo and Juliet faithfully, introducing the characters and themes clearly, highlighting the continued relevance of youth violence, family conflicts as well as the fragility of life.

As both the Junior and Senior Schools filled the Bahrain Cultural Hall to capacity for two performances in one day, it was evident just how much the audience loved it; the laughter, screams, cheers and jeers emanating from the auditorium was deafening as the performers thoroughly entertained with their catchy songs, dancing and music as well as cleverly blending some of the original Shakespeare verse with modern language.

What was also beautiful to witness were the gasps and tears expressed by many at the sad moments, as students fully empathised with the famous tragic storyline. Thomas Roycroft-Sherry said, ‘It was great because it was child-friendly, but still had some original Shakespeare quotes.’

An absolutely fantastic experience was had by all!