Young students examine Shakespearian parallels
Students from three primary schools were introduced to the joys of Shakespeare last week, when contemporary performance group Bell Shakespeare visited the region.
Students from St Cecilia’s Primary School, South Hedland Primary School and Cassia Primary School were in stiches during a condensed and hilarious version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed by four of the group’s actors.
The stop was part of a regional tour for the company’s Actors at Work program, which included stops at Kalgoorlie, Bunbury and Albany.
Actor Ed Lembke-Hogan said the response to the show from the Port Hedland children was amazing.
“When you come out to the regional places there’s so much eagerness and so much enthusiasm for the shows, they really get into it,” he said.
“Sometimes the city kids get a bit overstimulated and it’s just another show to them, but out here it’s great fun.”
The actors were particularly impressed with one South Hedland Primary child during question time, who asked about the parallels between Pyramus and Thisbe’s humorous death scene in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the tragic end of Romeo and Juliet.
“We certainly didn’t expect that from a Year 7,” Lembke-Hogan said.
