Four young and dynamic actors will visit on Wednesday, May 6 to provide free performances for students in Years 7 to 12.

Actors At Work is Bell Shakespeare’s flagship student program presented all over Australia including in communities as remote as Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory and Menindee in the far west of New South Wales.

During the one-hour performances, Actors At Work will present a selection of scenes from some of Shakespeare’s most exhilarating plays, providing on-going commentary to ensure students are kept abreast of important themes, characters, plots and twists.

Students will have the opportunity to ask the actors questions at the conclusion of the performances.

There will be three performances starting with one at 10am – Love’s Magic, showing scenes from Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 12pm – Macbeth Intensive and 1:30pm – Hamlet Intensive.

The program is made possible thanks to support from BHP Billiton.

BHP Billiton Mt Arthur Coal chief operating officer Eduard Haegel said the annual Actors At Work program at Muswellbrook High School succeeds in bringing Shakespeare’s works back to life through engaging performances that demonstrate why their timeless themes are still relevant to our young people today.

“The Actors at Work team provides students with a modern interpretation of Shakespeare they can really relate to followed by good discussion, which gives the students a better understanding of the texts they are currently studying,” he said.

Bell Shakespeare general manager Chris Tooher said this was a unique and valuable partnership with BHP Billiton, who is so committed to providing opportunities in the communities in which they operate.

“With the support of our long-term partners Actors At Work is able to access over 80,000 students in Australia every year,” he said.

For more information on Bell Shakespeare’s Actors At Work programme or Bell Shakespeare Education, visit www.bellshakespeare.com.au