BRS Presents A Superb Performance of Hamlet

On June 13, BRS’s Shakespeare Drama Club delivered a superb performance of Shakespeare’s most influential play Hamlet, holding the audience suspended in the plot and captivated by their acting skills. Totally student-led, 38 student members from the club dedicated nearly a year delving into the whole process of theatre production: from script analysis, into the skills of directing, to performance skills and application, to design of settings and costumes, and, ultimately, into the musical accompaniment. More importantly, this 2-hour show, solely in English, also challenged our students to truly outdo themselves and delve even deeper into all that is Shakespearean about the text, language, history and cultural background he used in this work.

With an average age of only 16 years, the audience was astounded and impressed by these talented students who have persevered throughout the process of bringing this story to the stage. As William Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, “To be, or not to be: that is the question”. There are valuable lessons to be learned about the classical work and from enacting the classical work, and interesting discussions will continue long after the performance is done. Bravo, on a job well done, students! Much praise should also go to our teachers for guiding and helping the students deliver such powerful performances for the audience to enjoy. Congratulations to all!

All proceeds from this show, less the production costs, go directly to a special fund, which is set up by Beijing Royal Charity Foundation for the benefit of the BRS Shakespeare Drama Club and other charity purposes.