Shakespeare - To Be Read Or Not To Be Read

I noted with interest this week, appropriately given the 450th of Shakespeare's birth, Dame Helen Mirren's assertion that children should not be permitted to read Shakespeare until they reach the age of 15. 

I would argue that it is not about age; we all develop at different stages in our lives, some of us never picking up a book voluntarily and others, like myself, turn into avid, voracious readers.

I would however agree that getting to grips with Shakespeare at a young age can be daunting, if not downright dull; much depends on just who is leading us down the literary path. I was fortunate enough to have had a truly inspiring teacher that I adored, but for many, exposure to Shakespeare is just a means to an end; gaining the required exam result.  

Getting youngsters to read any kind of book can be something of a challenge these days, unless it has the ability to capture their imagination. I believe that Shakespeare has the ability to do this, but probably not when served up in the original language. The suggestion that one way to gain interest is through the theatre is a sound one, but only if the performance comes up to scratch. As a keen theatre goer I have sat through many a dire production; nowadays I am much more likely to get up and leave.

The theatre can indeed be a magical place, and interpretations of Shakespeare can be as varied as the plots of his plays. I can recall one brilliant performance, performed on Vespa scooters, at the wonderful open air theatre, The Minack, at Porthcurno in Cornwall. With the sea as its backdrop, it was an unforgettable and riotous performance; their annual productions are a must for anyone.

Locally Taunton Thespians are performing Taming of the Shrew this summer, and there is of course The Reduced Shakespeare Company, which purists would say is a parody of the real thing, but who cares if it gets the kids interested?

Likewise, there have been a number of award winning films and adaptations based on Shakespearean themes, over 400 at the last count, and although not one of my personal favourites, ‘Shakespeare in Love’, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Judi Dench, won seven academy awards. That should at least get the girls interested.  

I can understand Dame Helen’s theory about creating desire for the forbidden by not allowing those under 15 to read Shakespeare, but it is about much more than that.  

I see that she also says that never having had the opportunity to play Juliet has broken her heart; her versatility as an actress is such that I would not be at all surprised if the offers don't come piling in, as I’d put nothing past her despite her assertion that she is now too old. Does love have to have an age barrier? 

The love of learning doesn’t, but with so many other diversions the barriers grow daily and if we value our heritage we must all do what we can to tear them down. Shakespeare is arguably the greatest playwright in history, despite rumours to the contrary, but then that is another topic altogether.