The Bermuda Shakespeare Schools Festival is back again for the third year since it first premiered in 2008. From October 18 to October 20 students from six local schools will perform two different plays each night.

The festival will be complementing the school GCSE requirements because it helps to raise the students get a greater understanding and appreciation for Shakespeare's works.

Saltus Grammar School student Katie Wikowski noted: "I think the audience will be interested to see how kids can put themselves into plays they hadn't known before, and to see that kids haven't lost the ability to appreciate the classics."

On Monday The Berkeley Institute will present the history play, 'Richard III', and 'The Merchant of Venice' will be performed by Warwick Academy.

Although 'The Merchant of Venice' is a comedy, it is usually mostly remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock and the famous "pound of flesh" speech.

Izabella Arnold, assistant director explained: "The key idea of the play is the need for showing mercy, and the power of forgiveness. Our story line is the same as Shakespeare's, but Mr. Cunningham, Head Director, has a taken a clever and stylistic approach towards delivering it to the audience, and putting an eerie spin on it all. The rehearsal process began immediately after the audition process in late May, early June. The show was blocked before the summer vacation and lines were learnt over the summer. In September we "attacked" the show full on taking once a week rehearsals and adding weekend rehearsals."

'Richard III', widely considered to be one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, is a history play that depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England.

Director Josie Kattan noted of Berkeley's production, " I think all of my students have been stretched, because the majority of them have very little acting experience. Most of my students love their parts, while others would probably prefer a comedy. The students have studied the play in class as part of their GCSE programme, but the actual rehearsals started the week we came back to school, a short time to rehearse in, but we meet weekends and after school depending on our other commitments. I think when they started to read the play the kids became fascinated with Richard himself, because he is "a Real scene stealer."

Tuesday's performances are Somersfield Academy's 'Othello' and 'The Taming of the Shrew' presented by CedarBridge Academy.

The tragedy of 'Othello' centres on the title character, a dark-skinned African prince who lives in a prejudiced European society, where he holds a rank of general in the Venetian military. As a professional soldier he has had little experience with women, but his tales of heroics manage to entice the lovely Desdemona to become his wife. Othello has many themes like love, jealousy, and racism.

'The Taming of the Shrew' is a much loved Shakespeare comedy featuring Petruchio, who gets married to an outspoken, intelligent and bad-tempered shrew named Kathrine. He manipulates and "tames" her until she is obedient to his will.

Closing the festival will be 'Hamlet' performed by Saltus Grammar School and Bermuda High School's production of 'The Merry Wives of Windsor.'

Set in Denmark, the tragedy of 'Hamlet' recounts how Prince Hamlet executes revenge on his uncle Claudius for murdering the old king, Claudius's brother, and Prince Hamlet's father. The play charts the course of real and feigned madness, from overwhelming grief to seething rage and more.

Katie Wikowski, who plays Queen Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, noted, "The message I think this play conveys is 'don't ever underestimate the power of love and family.' Jealousy can get the better of us and we need to learn how to control ourselves in these situations. This play is also about betrayal, fear, and the power of the mind."

Mitchell Campbell, who has enjoyed playing the role of Polonius, the father of Ophelia and Laeretes, noted: "I like performing this play because it has an interesting plot that keeps you involved, because it doesn't conclude with a typical happy ending, but in a pessimistic way. The conclusion to the plot of the play is hard to get a grip on, as it leaves you confounded as to why the character would even think to commit suicide."

The production has been adapted to a high school audience "It's abridged, of course," stated Mitchell, "but the costumes are also modern, and the actors are wearing coloured shirts, according to their family ties, so that the audience can easily make the connections between the characters."

'The Merry Wives of Windsor' performed by BHS, shows the consequences of deception. It features the fat knight Sir John Falstaff who arrives in Windsor, short on money. He decides, to obtain financial advantage, that he will court two wealthy married women, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Falstaff decides to send the women similar love letters. Both women show each other their love letters, and decide to trick the knight into thinking that they are interested. Eventually the wives tell their husbands, and they all conjured up a plan that humiliates the knight in front of the whole town.

Donte Brown, who plays George Page, noted: "I like that my character is honest and cares deeply about women as he does not take part in the plot of tricking the wives, as he trusts his wife. The play is relevant to today's audience because in some societies men generally see women as the inferior gender, but in this play they are not gullible, and are just as clever."

His wife, Anne Page, is played by Chelsea Marquardt who added: "I find that the women in this play are strong and independent which I'm sure much of the audience can relate to, because in today's society women are given a stereotypical title that hides their true potential. I think the audience will most enjoy when Idrees Sharreiff who plays "Falstaff" has to dress up as a woman!"

Gabriella Lupi noted further, "This play sends a message to teenagers today that there are consequences to lying and deception. The play is nerve wrecking for most of us, but it has helped us to obtain confidence."

The Bermuda Schools Shakespeare Festival, runs October 18 to 20 at the Berkeley Institute. October 18 Richard III and The Merchant of Venice; October 19 Othello and The Taming of the Shrew; October 20 Hamlet and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Tickets are available through participating schools and at the Bermuda Bookstore, Queen Street, Hamilton.