Simply Shakespeare is the dramatic line-up for local high schools next week, starting October 19. The Bermuda Shakespeare Schools Festival is returning with six new performances of some of Shakespeare's best-known plays at the Berkeley Institute's Cafetorium.

Opening the festival on Monday night are Saltus Grammar School with 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and the Bermuda High School presenting 'The Taming of the Shrew.' 'Much Ado About Nothing' performed by Somersfield Academy and 'Romeo and Juliet ' performed by Warwick Academy are the billing for Tuesday. The festival closes with CedarBridge Academy's 'Macbeth' and The Berkeley Institute's 'The Tempest.'

As they are abridged versions of the play, they are an ideal way to introduce young people to Shakespeare – as live theatre, not as poetry on a page. The performances will be judged, with the top three performers from each play receiving a monetary prize.

Young Observer caught up with a few of the actors and actresses to get some idea of what can be expected.

A nasty, bitter woman meeting a man who's just as sarcastic as she doesn't sound like the basis of a particularly funny play, but 'The Taming of the Shrew' has "a really funny story line" according to Alexis Stovell, one of the young actresses in the Bermuda High School production.

She is playing Gremio, an old man well into his 70s with his eye on a sweet, young innocent Bianca. He has one problem: Bianca's older sister Katerina. Their father insists that Bianca will remain unavailable until Katerina is safely married off, and no one wants to go anywhere near Katerina because she's so shrewish.

Gremio has another issue to deal with – a love rival played by Michelle Dale called Hortensio. Hortensio enlists the help of his friend Petruchio to clear the way so he can marry Bianca.

To tame the shrew, Katerina, Petruchio uses reverse psychology, and when she's verbally aggressive he comes right back at her. He's just as sarcastic as she. They do end up married, but as to whether or not Katerina's 'tamed' there is some doubt.

Two weeks before opening night Alexis described herself as "nervous because I don't want to embarrass myself, or others who are in the show."

Responsibility for success is important, elaborated Michelle, because, "We've worked as a team [though the whole process]."

They explained that the cast of this abridged version of Shakespeare's play are all members of the IB drama class. "We worked together," Michelle stated. "Our whole class was involved. At the end we'll be proud of what we've achieved. It is our last piece before we leave for college."

"Learning lines was for me the most difficult bit," admitted Michelle. Alexis found it challenging to "get used to the language, making sure you had the emphasis in the right part of the sentence."

And was it worth it? "Very much so," they both stated emphatically.

A very different relationship is explored by the students of Warwick Academy who will be producing 'Romeo and Juliet.'

The story of the star-crossed lovers is familiar to most, but the Warwick Academy production will provide fresh insight. "We're going to put a different spin on it," stated 14-year-old Anna Dobson, who plays Juliet. "Everyone's on stage the whole time. No one ever leaves. When they're not acting, the cast sit on chairs around the edge. It provides more concentrated action, so the audience is more aware of what's happening."

The cast has been deliberately chosen from the younger students, to give them a chance at the bigger roles normally reserved for the upper classmen. For Matthew Wedlich, who has taken on the role of Romeo, this has been a great honour, but also a great responsibility. "It's been a big jump for me," he explained. "In Macbeth and Little Shop of Horrors [previous school productions] I had a very small part. I just jumped a lot of parts. I have had to work on confidence for the role. I'm the main part. Everyone looks up to me."

Students should be able to relate to the play, despite the language because "the story comes alive on stage," Matthew stated. "We've adapted the play to make it more approachable, and we have a young cast. The audience can relate to that."

Anna sees Juliet as a young woman with divided loyalties. "Her mother doesn't really love her," Anna explained. "Juliet relies on her nurse as her best friend. She's got good intentions, just gets to the point where she can't obey her mother."

Rounding out the festival on Wednesday evening will be two, quite different plays, the violent, bloody 'Macbeth', put on by CedarBridge Academy, and Berkeley's salute to Bermuda's 400th anniversary, 'The Tempest.'

CBA's 'Macbeth' is set in West Africa, and the cast includes 12 percussionists who have composed a score and play African drums, vocal ensemble students who perform a Witches' Chorus, and the cast of Macbeth that present the tragedy as storytellers.

Director Patricia Nesbitt explained: "I chose this format because Macbeth is certainly a production for males, with only one female character – the infamous, fiendish, wicked, Lady Macbeth, which is ably played by Aly Zweiner. However, because there are more females in our class, they compliment the story by wearing African Dashikis to make them genderless. The lead role of Macbeth is played by basketball star, Khaivon Brown."

'The Tempest' is, "a very entertaining play," according to Sadé James, who plays the ethereal Ariel. "There's romance, comedy and magic."

Omar Ratteray, who plays Prospero, explained that the action is seen through the eyes of Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, and Ariel, and to emphasise this, the two characters are always on stage, looking down on the action from above. "It's Prospero's idea to draw the ship to shore; he's looking over everything that happens, controlling everything that happens, and this placement emphasises his power."

"At first Prospero wants revenge for his unjust treatment at the hands of his brother and the Duke of Milan, but towards the end of the play Ariel shows him that revenge is not always the best way to get back at your enemy, so Prospero forgives the lords for what they've done. If Ariel, a mystical creature, can have sympathy for them, he can forgive them," Omar elaborated.

The humour is provided by the Duke of Milan's household servants, Stephano and Trinculo. Jayson Jackson, who plays Trinculo, explained that a great deal of the comedy comes from Trinculo's fear of everything. "I love playing the role," he enthused. "It's overwhelming, very entertaining …I can't find the exact word. It allows me to express myself on stage."

The line up is sure to provide an enjoyable evening's entertainment whichever night you choose to attend. Light refreshments will be available for purchase in the intermission and tickets, $10 per night, are available from the participating schools though a few will be available at the door.