Shakespeare for Kids – Romeo and Juliet
Reviewed by Alexandra Lekis
Attempting to rouse the crowd by offering high-fives as we ambled in and joking casually on the sparse stage, Holden Street Theatre’s rendition of Romeo and Juliet for kids was off to a jolly start. However, I had my doubts. How did they, this four-man cast, expect to present the complex stories of Shakespeare to children of all ages? By keeping the play short, only forty minutes, and basing it on adaptations from the English children’s book ‘Tales from Shakespeare’ by sibling duo Charles and Mary Lamb, they did a reasonable job.
Respectfully sticking to an ample amount of the original script, they thoughtfully explored Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; but, added the key element of slapstick humour, which helped keep the majority of the young audience engrossed. With humorous and exaggerated fights between the Montagues and Capulets and giving Count Paris a quirky Dracula accent, The Holden Street Theatre Company were able to alter enough of the adult themes to give this tale a safe G-rating. Although, I am still not convinced that the younger children were able to understand the entire story (because, let’s be honest, Shakespeare can be pretty tough even for adults to understand), they were laughing merrily, as were their parents.
Whilst it may be a hard story for the children to follow, especially without any prior understanding of Shakespeare’s work, this show is entertaining for the whole family and certainly worth bringing your children along. If your kids haven’t experienced a live show before Shakespeare for Kids a great way to start cultivating the kiddies’ love for theatre and I applaud the company for encouraging young people to explore the classic texts of Shakespeare. During the 2014 Adelaide Fringe Festival, The Holden Street Theatre Company and The Recycled Theatre Company are also presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for kids
Shakespeare for Kids, Holden Street Theatres – The Studio, Feb 27 to March 9
