For its eighth tour to the UAE, the United Kingdom-based theatre group Shakespeare 4 Kidz will perform the Bard’s dark play, Macbeth, tomorrow at Ductac, Dubai.
The story of a Scottish general and his pursuit of the crown, which consumes him and leads to murder and eventually his own death, has been simplified into “a thrilling musical adaptation”.
“We start with the language and create a ‘translation’ that most English-speaking schoolchildren can engage with and understand,” says Julian Chenery, the producer at Shakespeare 4 Kidz, which aims to make the works of the 16th-century English poet and playwright more accessible to children. “The addition of catchy songs helps hook attention and keeps the younger audiences engaged. The most important thing is that the audience understand the dialogue – if they don’t, you’ve lost them.” He says the story is made thrilling with witches, battles and ghosts in a fast-moving theatrical style.
Shakespeare 4 Kidz first produced Macbeth in 2000. The title character is played by Noel Andrew Harron, who has featured in The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet, which have been staged in Qatar, Bahrain and Syria.
Chenery says the original idea was to create something that would get schoolchildren hooked on Shakespeare. “We did this by creating easy-to-understand musical adaptations that could be performed as plays,” he explains, adding that Shakespeare’s gripping storytelling style makes his work still relevant to the 21st-century reader.
The group also hosts education programmes and performing arts workshops in schools.
“Over the past 18 years, these productions have been performed by schools in every English-speaking country in the world,” says Chenery.
The theatre company, which performed in London and Oman last month, held several shows for UAE schoolchildren earlier this week.
“Expect drama, humour, songs, dance and sword fights,” says Chenery.
• Macbeth will be performed on Thursday at Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai. Tickets cost Dh150. Call 04 341 4777 to book
aahmed@thenational.ae
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
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The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
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