To take my son to see shakespeare?

[Mama1980]

Odd question I know I have a 4 1/2 year old ds home educated and we have just got back from Stratford where we did all the Shakespeare stuff. He now keeps asking to see a shakespeare play, he has been to the theatre before. I would be more than happy to leave if he got bored or made noise.

"Shakespeare 4 Kidz"

Have to agree with Folkgirl. There is no need for that!

Just a word of caution about outdoor performances - check first about any age restrictions. There is a venue near where we live that do an outdoor Shakespeare production every summer. I have been and it is lovely but they do not allow children under 6 to any of the performances

Wow thanks everyone I was just checking as sister in law said I was mad! think I will try the globe he has been before and loves concerts so the length I don't think will be a problem. Sorry I can't remember who asked but we did go to the Shakespeare birthplace and ds loved it. There is a couple of short audio visual intros which were excellent they are at the beginning so ds knew what he was going to see. They do a value ticket for all 5 Shakespeare houses or for arts fund members they are all free. Anne hayhaways cottage he also really enjoyed and there was a garden there where he could explore and run off some energy. thanks again for the reassurance

RSC do a young peoples one every year.

Shakespeare 4 Kidz is awful! Dd2 though Macbeth was a 'funny one'

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet! Don't judge a book by its cover or a company by its name. Shakespeare 4 Kidz is just that: a theatre company which makes Shakespeare plays easy-to-understand for kids. My own daughters loved their plays and came away from the theatre having understood the story and enjoyed the experience. What more can you ask?And they aren't really for "bored GCSE students"...more for upper juniors and lower secondary pupils.

I loved Shakespeare as as child. I watched the BBC ones they did (animated Shakespeare or something like that). My Mum used to read me Shakespeare as well. Not the actual original plays, but slightly adapted to make them easier to understand. The animated ones were quite dark but I've always had quite macabre tastes...even as a youngster. I'd also recommend the Globe. I saw the Merchant of Venice there, it was a brilliant experience.

Take kids along! I remember being taken to Classical music concerts in Manchester and loved them, people always commented about how wonderful it was to see a young person enjoying - conducting and play the kettle drums in my imagination.

I came across this beautifully illustrated cartoon Romeo and Juliet which maybe of use: itunes.apple.com/ca/app/romeo-and-juliet/id587422370?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2

I think Shakespeare 4 Kidz is brilliant - it is obviously geared towards children, but it stops all the moaning about boring theatre at a later age.

My dad took me to see Twelfth Night when I was little (about 5 or 6) I still remember it now (I'm 50+) I loved it, it was magical - yes I probably didn't understand all that much of it, but I got the fooling around and cross garter bits and thought it was hilarious, and Dad had told me roughly what it was all about before we went.

So yes take him - even if he just enjoys the whole theatre experience, its worth it, you might be making a treasured memory for him, and if he's bored - as you say you can always leave and try again another time.

My Dad also used to take me to all the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas from a very young age - loved those too

i saw a midsummer night's dream when i was about five or six and i loved it! if he wants to go, take him :)

I loved the animated Shakespeares when I was little. In year 7 we had to do a project on Shakespeare and I referred to loads of the plays because, of course, I'd got the book of the animated ones. I was really fed up because the teacher made a comment about how she'd wondered why I pretended to know so many plays but now she saw 'what your trick was'.

Meanie.

I think they're brilliant, if they're still around please get them! The Richard III one is proper scary, though.

I've seen little kids at the Globe loving it - it's going to be full of colour and interaction, I would think it's great. And it's easy to escape and go for a rip off drink in a cafe if he gets tired.

Loving 'thou whoreson zed'

We live in Stratford upon Avon and my children's school is lucky enough to do workshops with the RSC in Yr 1 (they did The Tempest) and Yr 6 (DS will be doing it this summer). I took DD to a young people's adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew when she was 6 and she enjoyed it but did get rather restless. I'd agree A Midsummer Night's Dream is a good one to start with though.