News and Reviews

News: Shakes in the City
December 2008

Arts organisations in Derby are joining forces to present an innovative programme of live performances, film and community workshops to celebrate the work of William Shakespeare.

The Shakes in the City activities will take place at various venues across the city including the Assembly Rooms, Guildhall Theatre, QUAD and Derby City Hospital between February and April 2009. Shakes in the City is being driven forward by Derby LIVE, sinfonia ViVA (East Midlands' professional orchestra), Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company, 1623 theatre company and QUAD.

The varied programme includes:

• A professional production of 'Much Ado About Nothing' staged by Derby LIVE starring Steven Blakeley (Heartbeat's Geoff Younger). This will be complemented by a full programme of outreach activity run by 1623 theatre company
• Screenings of traditional and non-traditional film adaptations at QUAD
• A production of 'Twelfth Night' by Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company
• Shakespeare 4 Kidz production of 'Romeo and Juliet – The Musical'
• sinfonia ViVA's annual Spring residency involving students from Derby junior and secondary schools, Derby College and the University of Derby which will this year be based on 'Romeo and Juliet' featuring music by Prokofiev from his ballet of the same name. The project also includes 1623 theatre company creating new drama with young people using the play as its inspiration.
• A performance by sinfonia ViVA of Mendelssohn's incidental music to 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
• Performances of short scenes from Shakespeare plays and an education project at QUAD by 1623 theatre company
• Shakespeare at the Hospital by 1623 theatre company
• A full programme of participatory activity including pre-show talks and performances and post-show discussions

A full listing of activity will be available early in the New Year with booking details at venues and online.

Shakes in the City is also being backed by Marketing Derby. John Forkin, Director of Marketing Derby, explained: "Shakes in the City is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the strong cultural offer in the City. It is great to see so many Derby Arts organisation coming together to offer a rich and varied programme in venues across the city. It will be a fitting celebration of Shakespeare's greatest work and will culminate on April 23 which is the great bard’s birthday and the date he died."

Media enquiries: Sarah Jenkin-Jones - Tel: 01332 515102/07951 945 665 sarah@jjpublicrelations.co.uk