Bringing Shakespeare to a new generation

A festival of Shakespeare culminating in a production of The Tempest will form the centrepiece of Shetland Youth Theatre’s 25th-anniversary celebrations.

As well as staging the dark comedy a block of drama workshops are being put on to help the youngsters involved develop the skills needed to take part.

The ethos behind the workshops is that they will show people that they need not be put off by Shakespeare and any notions that his work is “difficult, incomprehensible, archaic, intellectual”. In fact, his plays were written for the masses and the anniversary events will show participants how to get their tongue around some of the more unusual words and explain what they mean.

This series of workshops are booked as a block and will allow participants to further develop their drama skills. They will culminate with a short sharing session for family and friends in the Mareel auditorium.

Anyone aged between 11 and 25 can take part.

The events are on Sundays 24th February and 10th March at the Garrison Theatre in Lerwick and on Sundays 3rd March and 17th March in Mareel.

Over the years there have been major Shakespeare productions in Shetland – Romeo and Juliet performed in Leask’s old garage, Macbeth in Scalloway Castle and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Walls Community Garden.