Watch: Shoreham Wordfest offers its seventh annual Shakespeare Celebrations

Rosalind Turner, of Shoreham Wordfest, explains: “The aim is to mark the Bard of Avon’s birthday each year on or around April 23, which curiously was also the recorded date of his death. The Wordfest Shakespeare events are accessible and joyous opportunities for all ages to enjoy samples of his poetry, song and to introduce some of the plots and characters from his world-famous plays. This year the mini-festival starts with a vibrant performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the most magical and comical of Shakespeare's well-loved plays, performed in a wonderful adaptation by the Kent-based Bowler Crab Theatre Company. Love, longing, muddle and mayhem in abundance for all the family. On Saturday, April 22 there is a free concert in the ancient and glorious St Mary de Haura Church in the town centre. Actors, singers and musicians will entertain with songs, sonnets, music and drama from Shakespeare and his times. featuring early music group Pastores Ensemble, choirs Seven Singers and Sounds and Sweet Airs, together with four actors, in a concert for everyone. This event will not be ticketed. Just come along on the day. This will be followed by an Elizabethan Song and Dance workshop of easy to learn, centuries-old songs and rounds that Shakespeare himself may well have known and sung. There is also a chance to learn some delightful circle dances from Elizabethan times. Whether you sing in choirs or just in the shower, all ages are welcome to revel in songs and dances of Elizabethan England. The workshop is led by the widely experienced teachers Emily Longhurst and Kathryn Penny. The festival finale on Saturday evening is the Shakespeare Night Ceilidh, a night of celebration and merrymaking remembering the anniversary of our national poet. This will be a fun evening of country dances with the accomplished Kate’s Kitchen Band. Tickets include a rustic ploughman’s meal and a tot of mead. If you enjoy dressing up, then shake the moths out of your Elizabethan costumes or come in whatever takes your fancy for a fling round The Shoreham Centre dance floor. Everyone and all ages are welcome.”

Libby Longhurst is the organiser: “Back in 2014 when we were going to be having the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare, I was looking around to see if there were any events celebrating him and in this local area there was just nothing. Obviously we had a Burns Night the following year and I was thinking ‘Why do we have a Burns Night but not a Shakespeare event?’ I saw a friend of mine and said would you do a talk on Shakespeare if we organise something and that was really how the whole thing kicked off. In 2016 we had the 400th anniversary of his death coming up and we had the first Shakespeare Festival and it was a real success. We went to the Wordfest and asked if we could be part of that and the director said yes and it has worked really well.”

There are refreshments available at all the events. Tickets from www.shorehamwordfest.com or from Shoreham Art Gallery, 27 Brunswick Road.

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