April Reading List: All Things Shakespeare

As April takes centre stage, we're diving into the world of all things Shakespeare. With incredible plays, adaptations and playful parodies, we're here to help you bring the world of Shakespeare to life, whether it's in your classroom or on the stage.

So grab your favourite quill and parchment, and let's celebrate the Bard's birthday in style with these phenomenal plays!

Cobweb is not having a good time as part of Titania's train. She dreams of a life where she plays pranks all day long and doesn't have to be a stuffy, stuck-up fairy in waiting. If only it was a simple as crossing the brook to be part of Oberon’s train!

But life in the woods is not simple. The King and Queen fight tooth and nail, Cobweb fights to make her dreams come true, and her friends fight to keep her from being turned into a toadstool. A mortal with a donkey head has wandered into the grove and the flower fairies blame Cobweb. Oh will this midsummer night never end?

Cobweb Dreams is a fun-filled fantasy that runs parallel to the events of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a classic tale of mischievous fairies and love, set in the Athenian woods. A great blend of comedy and romance.

Denmark is plagued with zombies led by Hamlet's uncle/step-father, the current king of Denmark.

When Hamlet learns from his zombified father the plot of his uncle - a plan to turn Denmark into a land of the undead - Hamlet knows he must stop him! Or not. If he could only be sure...

A gruesomely comic adaptation of the Shakespeare's classic tragedy, Hamlet, Zombie Killer of Denmark blends the original text with new, zombified dialogue, with much of the new text written in the iambic tradition of Shakespeare.

The sparkling wordplay of Beatrice and Benedick are at the centre of this romantic comedy. This one-act annotated version of Much Ado About Nothing brims with villainy, schemes, and deceit.

What if Much Ado About Nothing took place at a high school dance?

Mayhem ensues at Much Ado High School. Student Council president Don Pedro schemes to set up new student Claudio with Hero. Hero schemes to set up Beatrice with Benedick. And Don John schemes to mess up everything!

An enjoyable introduction to this Shakespearean tale with lightning-fast pace, hilarious characters, and witty dialogue.

Does your drama club perform for grade school or family audiences? Romeo and Juliet (Modern English) is a one-act version of Shakespeare's tragic tale of star-crossed lovers. The son and daughter of rivals fall in love, causing the age-old grudge between the families to resurface. It is a universal story, and Shakespeare's best-known work.

Includes an overview of the story and offers a lively introduction to the play.

Shakespeare's Bachelorette is the Shakespeare/Dating show mash-up you’ve been waiting for!

Kate is looking for a date and her options are somewhat limited. Hamlet is pretty focused on his step-dad, Macbeth keeps trying to grab a dagger from above Kate’s head, and why does Iago keep giving her a handkerchief?

Oberon seems to think he’s going to win the show and it has nothing to do with that purple flower…

After a shipwreck, Viola finds herself stranded on the shores of Ilyria, disguised as a boy, and falling in love with her boss. And that's just the beginning! Love, comedy, and confusion abound in Twelfth Night.

Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a one-act annotated version of Shakespeare's comedy.

Shakespeare's sonnets come alive in Will and Whimsy: Sixteen Dramatically Illustrated Sonnets of Shakespeare. Modern scenes play hand in hand with the original text.

Very flexible casting.