Royal Shakespeare brings Hamlet to Rotherham schools

Three schools—Wickersley, Wales and Winterhill—will host performances of Hamlet for their students and there will be two public performances at the Magna science centre on October 7 and 8.

The tour heralds a new way of reaching audiences who may not normally have access to the RSC’s work.

In schools, the daytime performances will be for schoolchildren, with evening performances aimed at their families and the local community. 

In the theatre venues, tickets will be available for the general public.

Aside from Rotherham, the six-week tour of the Young People’s Shakespeare (YPS) production of Hamlet will visit schools and local theatre venues in the West Midlands, Cornwall, Plymouth, North East England, and Merseyside.

Adapted by Tarell Alvin McCraney and Bijan Shebani and directed by Tarell, a 70-minute version of Macbeth is performed using Shakespeare’s original text and without interval. 

Many of the daytime performances will be followed by a schools’ workshop led by the actors, and most other performances will be accompanied by a question and answer session with the company.

Jacqui O’Hanlon, RSC Director of Education, said: “The Young People’s Shakespeare performance series lives out the principles of our Stand Up For Shakespeare manifesto by creating opportunities for children and young people to see Shakespeare Live, but this time in their own back yard. 

“The YPS Hamlet tour is the fulfilment of a long-held company ambition to take our work on the road and into schools and communities that would otherwise rarely get the chance to see it.

“Most importantly of all, the work is being promoted by the schools and venues who know their communities best.”