Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa Adds An African Twist To The Classics

SCHOOL-GOING performers will come together to celebrate the work of iconic English playwright and poet William Shakespeare during the 2024 Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa SSFSA.

From Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet to The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night and many more, theatregoers will be highly entertained as these plays take on a modern and African twist.

Known as Africas largest Shakespeare youth drama programme, SSFSA will take place from Monday, September 23, to Thursday, September 26, at the Durban University of Technologys Courtyard Theatre.

Under the theme Liberating Our Histories, students from nine schools, including Maris Stella, Sastri College, Nhlanhlayethu Secondary School and Durban Girls Secondary, will take to the stage to present bite-sized Shakespeare plays that explore themes of love, identity, power and ambition, in an innovative way.

The festival, now in its 14th year, encourages diverse performance methods, from dance to spoken word. This is in a bid to create a platform for self-expression and inclusivity.