The Stage

Celebrities gather for launch of Shakespeare Schools Festival

Published Tuesday 12 April 2005 at 15:10 by Ruth Gillespie

Jeremy Irons and wife Sinead Cusack were among the celebrities attending the premiere of Tom Stoppard’s abridged version of The Merchant of Venice, performed by members of the National Youth Theatre at the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House.

Janet Ellis, Paula Wilcox and Sabrina Guinness were also among the guests at the event, which marked the launch of the Shakespeare Schools Festival 2005 programme.

Working with 500 schools in four UK regions between April and October, the project enables up to 12,000 pupils to stage their own abridged Shakespeare plays in professional theatres. In preparation, teachers receive a training day with the Royal Shakespeare Company, while pupils get a workshop day with theatre company Dramarama.