Bardwatching: Spring Term 1 (2023-4)

Such tricks hath strong imagination

Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation (CSSF) is showcasing young people and their reimaginings of Shakespeare in a gala event. Featuring performances from the finalists of its national creative competition, What You Will, the event will be held at London's Criterion Theatre.

Readings of original speeches written by young people from the perspective of one of Shakespeare's characters will be followed by music, dance and readings from special guests, and a comedy narrator representing Shakespeare himself. Alfred Enoch, Ben Willbond, John Heffernan and Eliza Butterworth are among the celebrities taking part in the gala event.

The What You Will competition is also celebrating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's First Folio – the first collected edition of the bard's works which would otherwise have been lost.

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has appointed Vicky Cheetham and Sandeep Mahal as its interim co-executive directors; Catherine Mallyon prepares to step down on 22 December after 11 years in the role. Cheetham has previously worked as executive director of the arts at London's Southbank Centre and also had a range of responsibilities at the Barbican. She joined the RSC in January 2023 as its executive advisor. Mahal, who joined the RSC as a leadership associate in January 2022, currently is also director of change at People Make It Work – a community of freelancers across the UK.

In other appointments at the RSC, Lisa Hughes has been announced as chief financial officer and Stephanie Dittmer has been selected as director of development.

My dancing soul doth celebrate

The BBC's head of arts Suzy Klein has said that the broadcaster's forthcoming Shakespeare season hopes to target the ‘devastating’ number of children who have never seen a live performance. The BBC is celebrating the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare's first folio with a range of educational resources, including a nine-part animation of Romeo and Juliet for primary students.

Discussing the topic, Klein said: ‘There are some theatres and schools that do great work with providing children access to the theatre, and I've seen that in my own experiences. But it's devastating that huge numbers of children have never seen a live performance because it is prohibitively expensive. Teachers in the classroom may not be able to take their students to a production, but with the BBC Shakespeare season, they will have access to these performances they may not have encountered, there on live capture.’

Old fashions please me best

The Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC) is marking its 18^th anniversary with an open-air production of Romeo and Juliet, taking place on the streets of the Surrey town. The professional cast will be directed by company co-founder Matt Pinches and joined by a community chorus comprising of local performers, schools, colleges and the company's drama clubs. The performance will take place in June, and two more community-oriented events will take place next April to mark Shakespeare's birthday.

Discussing the company's 18^th birthday, co-founder Sarah Gobran says: ‘In our industry, we all know how powerful theatre can be; how it can affect change. To experience that first-hand, to speak to participants and audiences for whom GSC's work has had genuine life-saving implications is both humbling and inspiring. It proves that the arts are a force for good: they bring understanding, compassion and resilience, as well as great joy. It is for these very reasons that we keep striving to make exceptional theatre experiences for everyone.’