Newcastle stage for young actors.

There was much ado about something for a group of young actors as they took to the boards for one of Shakespeare’s best loved comedies at Newcastle’s Northern Stage.

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Pupils at the city’s St Michael's RC Primary School  performed at the famous theatre as part of an initiative led by the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Associate Schools Programme which brings students together to perform each year.

The comedy Much Ado About Nothing was chosen for the most recent production;  a tale of love and deception revolving around the misunderstandings between two pairs of lovers - Claudio and Hero, and Benedick and Beatrice.

Members of St Michael’s after school club had been working hard ahead of their performance and the group of 15 girls from Years 3 to 6 performed the play’s dramatic closing scenes, including the final celebration dance.

“We had the final scenes, which, in typical Shakespeare fashion, involved masks and revealed identities,” said Theresa Simonson, Year 4 teacher who worked with the club to prepare them for their performance.

Each of the six schools involved presented a different section of the play before joining forces for their debut date at the Northern Stage to perform in front of an audience.

The school, part of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, has a long-term interest in the theatre, and students are keen to audition each year.

“St Michael’s Primary School has been involved in sharing Shakespeare with children since 2014 when we were invited to join a learning programme network that involved schools from around the country and the Royal Shakespeare Company,” said Mrs Simonson.

“Since then there have been countless pupils from across the school who have enjoyed learning and performing Shakespeare plays. We already have children asking which play it will be next year!” she added.