"Pupils will perform their own interpretations of shortened versions of some of Shakespeare's plays, directed and produced by their teachers."
"There is a Bollywood-inspired Romeo and Juliet, a Winter's Tale exploring "chav" culture, and The Taming of the Shrew set in a women's prison."
What really burns me with so much in the arts lately is when nitwits think they are qualified to 'improve' upon authors or artists who are far beyond them. Who dares to say that teenagers mutilating Shakespeare is some kind of improvement???? They should be learning to try to attain fidelity to the original before they even think about trying to appropriate it in some 'novel' 'contemporary' and 'relevant' way.
It's actually quite similar to the attitudes that allow lightweight judges and lawyers to constantly believe they are 'improving' upon our Constitution and our traditions.
I didn't see where anybody billed it as an "improvement" on Shakespeare. Just trying to do a different take. Don't see what's illegitimate about that, provided it's done well.
It's just students doing once and done demonstrations. Anything that facilitates interest in Shakespeare is a good thing. It's too bad American public schools don't try to do something like this.