LIVERPOOL EMPIRE THEATRE TRUST BRINGS NATIONAL THEATRE PRODUCTION TO WIRRAL SCHOOLS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Hamlet’s dad is dead. His uncle has taken over the kingdom and married Hamlet’s mum. The whole world feels like it’s turned upside down. A ghostly encounter reveals a dreadful deed has been done. Should Hamlet take revenge?
The Liverpool Empire Theatre Trust has been helping to introduce young audiences in Wirral to the world of Shakespeare by funding a National Theatre schools tour of Hamlet in partnership with the Empire’s Creative Learning department and the Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust.
Funded by the Empire Theatre Trust the production was hosted at St Josephs RC Primary – a primary school in The Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust and welcomed seven Wirral schools to experience this fantastic opportunity from 7th March including:
- St Werbugh’s RC Primary School, Birkenhead
- St Anne’s Primary School, Birkenhead
- Our Lady of Pity RC Primary School, Wirral
- St Bernard’s RC Primary School, Ellesmere Port
- St. John Plessington Catholic Secondary School, Wirral
- St. Mary’s Catholic College, Wirral
Natalie Flynn, ATG’s Senior Creative Learning Manager said, “Educational engagement is at the heart of what we do, and this project is the perfect way to inspire a new generation of theatre lovers. Due to the generosity of the Theatre Trust we have been able to bring the National Theatre production of Hamlet to young people in the Liverpool City Region at no direct cost to the schools. It’s been a great way to build upon and celebrate our incredibly important partnership with the Academy Trust.”
Klare Rufo, Director for Development and improvement at the Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trustsaid, “Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust is so proud to be working with the Empire Theatre and The National Theatre to bring this amazing opportunity to both the children of our own trust schools and some of our local schools too. Providing these amazing opportunities for our children is absolutely essential and for many this has been their first encounter with Shakespeare. The children have enjoyed the show and the workshops so much and our parents have been in touch to say how excited the children have been reliving the experience at home.”
The project in Wirral is part of a wider nationwide tour by the National Theatre and will also be performed in the Dorfman Theatre from 24th March – 6th April. The tour will reach over 5,000 pupils across four weeks as part of the NT’s commitment to introducing children and young people to theatre, also visiting schools in Wolverhampton, Sunderland and South Essex.
Director Tinuke Craig said, “I’m so thrilled to be revisiting this project- especially after it was cut short by the start of the pandemic in 2020. It’s a big challenge to take one of the greatest works in the canon and distil it to an hour long play for 8–12-year-olds, but one I’m so excited to be taking on again along with a fantastic cast and creative team. Not only do we have the task of creating an engaging production for an audience, but we also have a responsibility to introduce younger audiences to theatre, bringing productions to their home turf to provide an early, and often first, experience of Shakespeare that is welcoming, inclusive, exciting and fun.”
Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre said, “It’s so important that children from all backgrounds feel that the arts are open to them to participate in and enjoy, and so we’re delighted to bring Tinuke Craig’s reimagining of Hamlet to the stage of the National Theatre and directly into school halls. We hope this exciting first experience of Shakespeare and live theatre will inspire young audiences to discover more about theatre-making and support teachers to ensure creative learning continues to be a key part of a rounded education”.