ALTON will celebrate the works of Shakespeare next week with the staging of its own ‘Shakespeare 400 Fest’.

To take place from noon to 2pm in Alton’s Public Gardens next Saturday, the event will offer two hours of Shakespearian open-air theatre featuring students from Alton College, Amery Hill and Eggar’s schools.

Designed to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the death of the great bard, the performances will take the form of original modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s most famous works.

Co-ordinated by Alton Town Council, the event will be resided over by town mayor Pam Jones, with interval entertainment by fellow councillor Bisi Eni-Olotu, music teacher at Eggar’s, who will conduct a children’s Shakespearian quiz, with small prizes to be won.

Grateful thanks have been expressed to the three teachers who have been involved in making this project possible – Nicola Kingsley from Alton College, Owain Lewis from Amery Hill, and Alison Lambourne from Eggar’s.

Nicola Kingsley, head of English and performing arts at Alton College, said: “To celebrate 400 years of the Bard, Alton College students will perform a vibrant assortment of Shakespeare-inspired pieces ranging from the ultra-modern (think Tempest Rap, Macbeth in Space and Romeo and Juliet Grease style) to the traditional (a soliloquy from Hamlet, Sonnet 116).”

Amery Hill School will perform a short adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.

Owain Lewis, head of drama, said: “We are excited to be celebrating the 400th birthday of one of the world’s greatest playwrights, William Shakespeare, in an afternoon of theatre and creativity. It has been great to work with the young people of Alton in recognising this anniversary and the experience of performing the Bard’s work has been a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved.”

Students from Eggar’s School will present an extract from a recent school production, the hilarious Twelfth Night, and a performance of the famous speech from As You Like it, “All the world’s a stage...”

Alison Lambourne, head of drama at Eggar’s, said: “Shakespeare is a fundamental force in drama and it is a pleasure to explore his work in its traditional sense but to also bring it to life with new vigour.”

Alton Town Council has extended thanks also to the students who have dedicated hours of time to writing and rehearsing these pieces for the festival.

In the unfortunate event of poor weather, the performances will move inside to Alton College’s Wessex Theatre.