Early in November 2004, our S.4 English Literature students and S.2 students in the Gifted Programme got a treat when they were given the experience to watch Shakespeare’s plays in action and BE in one of them as part of the Hong Kong Youth Arts Festival.

Two professional actors gave convincing and commendable performances of “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Taming of the Shrew”, demonstrating Shakespearean language, such as puns and rhythms. Some of the students were even asked to play characters in “Romeo and Juliet” and use the language with simple props and costumes. Students also learned about stage positioning and body language.

Modern versions of the two plays were also presented – “West Side Story” and “Kiss me Kate”. Students were even taught about camera techniques, such as the shadow effect and the use of music in a scene.