Teenage actors from a Hout Bay arts programme for at-risk youth have staged their own version of Macbeth at the Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa.

More than 40 schools and drama groups are taking part in the festival, which opened at the District Six Homecoming Centre’s Star Theatre on Wednesday May 8 and runs until Saturday May 27. Among them are 23 students of the non-profit Lalela arts programme.

Lalela’s adaptation of Macbeth debuted at the festival on Tuesday evening May 14, according to Firdous Hendricks, the programme’s director.

The Shakespeare Schools Festival was launched in 2010 and has become Africa’s largest Shakespeare youth drama programme, which has worked with over 490 schools, 9000 youth and 670 teachers across the Western Cape, according to its website.

“We’ve had many students inspired by their participation in the Shakespeare Schools Festival, which has also propelled some of them to pursue a career in theatre or aspects related to what they learned during the production,” said Ms Hendricks.

Former Lalela student, Aphendule Sixishe, 27, of Imizamo Yethu, is directing this year’s Macbeth and handling the sound and lighting while another former student, Lerato Matyityilili, 25, is the stage manager.

“I saw my first theatre production at the Artscape theatre when I was 13 - it was Mamma Mia. I instantly fell in love and knew I wanted to be on the stage. I joined Lalela in high school, when I was 15,” said Mr Sixishe.

“We put on our first play at the Artscape theatre in 2013, as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival. We performed A Midsummer Night's Dream and I played Puck. Claire Baker was our director. After I matriculated, I continued working with Claire when she directed Shakespeare plays. I assisted her in direction and did sound and lighting as well. From her is where I learned how to handle a production.”

All the props for Lalela’s Macbeth were created by the students during their recent holiday programmes.

Mr Sixishe said South African languages had been incorporated into the production “so that the message could carry more weight”.

Language barriers, he said, sometimes made it hard for the actors to get to grips with the Shakespearean English and give their best.

“Fortunately, we have always been able to simplify the texts and make sure the scripts are understood. The talent is already there, and there is a lot of it. We'd just polish the gems.”

Describing the opening night as “absolutely amazing”, he said: “The kids were all excellent. They truly left everything on the stage.”

Silikamva High School pupil Nompumelelo Dam, 16 plays Lady Macbeth.

“I fell in love with acting when I was 6 years old, but I joined Lalela at the age of 14. I really enjoy performing in this play and find it quite emotional at times,” she said.

Silikamva High School pupil Nompumelelo Dam, 16, plays Lady Macbeth.

Silikamva High School pupil Nasiphi Khwatshube, 15, took on the role of Macbeth..

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Young actors shake up Shakespeare