If while you were reading William Shakespeare in high school you thought, “This would work better as a cooking show,” you’re in luck. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) just may be the play for you.

Coming to the British School of Beijing (Shunyi) from May 8-21, the capital’s answer to Broadway, Beijing Playhouse, tackles all 37 of William Shakespeare’s works. “One work of Shakespeare is brilliant; all 37 at once is 37 times as good,” according to Kobus Van Der Colff, one of production’s four cast members. the American Today Show once said of it.

This isn’t your average community theater. “With only four actors in the show, they all had to be really good,” said Beijing Playhouse Director Chris Verrill. Normally, “We can take someone very green, put them in a small part, and make them good,” Verrill said, but for this show, the actors needed prior experience, with all four having done Shakespeare before at some point.

One of the longest running plays on London’s West End, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is a comedy about Shakespeare production. “We all play versions of ourselves,” Van Der Colff said. The characters are not gender-specific to the actor, said Nicole Payne, who plays, among others, a nurse, a king, and Laertes. Men play both Romeo and Juliet in this particular case. The complicated bit is not the parts, but that “every character change requires a costume change,” Verrill said.

The bits of the play that are actually from Shakespeare are played as straight as possible, so when it gets messed up, it’s funny, the cast said.

To demonstrate how unseriously the play takes itself, Hamlet’s famous “To Be Or Not to Be” speech is performed first at normal speed, then at twice normal speed, then four times faster, and then finally, backwards. Be to not or be to?

All four of the cast and their director lamented what a bad rap Shakespeare has. “A lot of people are turned off because their first experience with it was in an English class,” Verrill said. Payne was fortunate to first encounter the Bard by acting in one of his plays. “If I had read it first, I don’t know if I would have enjoyed it as much,” she said.

Beijing Playhouse’s next production will be a charity readers’ theater performance of 12 Angry Men on August 1. For the budding performer, the next play will be Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in December. Despite the difficulties of producing English-language theater in Beijing, Verrill said that after nine years, the Playhouse is still “pushing forward.”

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) will be performed at the British School of Beijing in Shunyi from May 8-21. For tickets and information, visit www.beijingplayhouse.com.

Photos: Courtesy of Beijing Playhouse

What brought you to Beijing?
I came in 2009 with my husband, who works for a German car company. My older son was three at the time and compared to home, the opportunities for him to engage in group play were either non existent or really expensive. I decided to set one up myself and contacted all the big international schools if they could offer me their gym for free, as I did not want to charge money for the play group. The British School of Beijing (BSB Shunyi campus) was the only school helping me – that’s how I came to BSB in the first place. A year later the former Head Executive asked me if I was interested to set up a native German program at BSB, knowing I had been a professional German teacher back home. I agreed and started working at BSB in 2010.

What’s was your favorite subject when you were a student?
Besides PE,  I loved history, biology and German – they just were subjects that really interested me as they brought something new every single lesson. And I had great teachers in those subjects.

How would you (or your students) describe your teaching style?
I try to get a good mix of styles in my lessons. In the beginning of each year, I ask my students which topics and activities they like most and consider that in my planning. I think teachers should give students the chance to decide how they like to learn and give them responsibility for their own learning.

What was your favorite book growing up? What are you currently reading? I read typical girls’ books and Enid Blyton books. I am currently reading The Girl who saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson – hilarious & highly recommended!

How do you like to relax on the weekends? Spending time with my family in and outside of Beijing.

Where do you like to go on holiday? We love to travel around in Asia as it offers so many exciting places.

What’s something most people don’t know about you? I am terribly scared of snakes.

What’s currently on your playlist? Mainstream chart hits as well as “old” songs like from ABBA, Madonna, and Bon Jovi, as well as some German music from the charts and classical music.

What’s do you find most rewarding about teaching?
I would call it the symbiosis between student and teacher: Seeing the progress students make, when they think hard and then suddenly scream, “I got it!” and when you manage to get them excited about something. Having good relationships with students as I learn so much from them every day!

Meet the Teacher is a new beijingkids blog series designed to help the Beijing community learn more about international school teachers.  If your school would like to participate in the series, please email the school editor at yvetteferrari@beijing-kids.com

Photo: Courtesy of BSB

Phil Allman (UK) is the Head of Primary at the British School of Beijing (Shunyi campus). He’s been in Bejing just four months and lives here with his wife and daughter.  As the first teacher to participate in our new blog series, Meet the Teacher, Allman shares a little about himself with beijingkids.

What brought you to Beijing?
Having taught in the UK for my entire career and as a Headteacher of 2 schools I felt the time was right to make the move. Our focus ended in Asia and I was fortunate enough to be offered the post here at the British School of Beijing (BSB), Shunyi.

What’s was your favorite subject when you were a student?
I had two: physical education and history. I was very sporty when I was younger and wanted to share that enthusiasm with children. I’m also a keen historian because it allows you to get under the surface of a topic to what really happened.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I wanted to be a professional sportsman when I was growing up. I was reasonably talented at both rugby union and cricket but by the time I left school I realized my real ability lay in teaching others to develop.

How would you (or your students) describe your teaching style?
I still teach even as a head of primary and my style is to get the children thinking. They are the ones driving their learning, it is my job to point them in the right direction. I’m infuriating (or so I’m told) in that I always answer a question with another question!

What was your favorite book growing up? What are you currently reading?
My favorite book growing up, perhaps predictably with my love of history, was a mystery set in Medieval England called Septimus and the Danedyke Mystery. Septimus was a local priest who had to find out who had stolen the church gold.I’m currently reading a murder mystery set in Sweden by Camilla Lackberg called The Stranger.

How do you like to relax on the weekends?
Spending time with my wife and daughter as well as walking in the surrounding area around Beijing. We have discovered some of the sights of Beijing but term time is very busy at BSB!

Where do you like to go on holiday?
We haven’t ventured too far at this point only four months into our time in Beijing but Thailand, Jeju and Sanya have all been mentioned in our house. When we lived in the UK our favorite places were Ireland, Southern France, and in England, The Lake District. We love walking and seeing new things.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I am very left hand dominant but was given right handed golf clubs as a gift when I was a child – it is to this day the only sport I cannot play left handed.

What’s currently on your playlist?
My playlist is influenced by my three children. Ed Sheeran and The Script have been put on there by them. I also have Kate Bush back on there after a long absence!

What’s do you find most rewarding about teaching?
Seeing the light come on when a child “gets it.” You know at that moment, you’ve made the difference you came into the profession for.

Meet the Teacher is a new beijingkids blog series designed to help the Beijing community learn more about international school teachers.  If your school would like to participate in the series, please email the school editor at yvetteferrari@beijing-kids.com

Photo: Courtesy of BSB

With air pollution a chief concern among parents, more Beijing international schools are taking into account the health and safety of students. On Saturday, October 25, The British School of Beijing (Shunyi campus) became the latest school to get on board with the opening of their brand new sports dome. To celebrate the official opening, BSB invited students, teachers, parents, and the extended BSB community to the school for a morning of sports tournaments and activities. Two student captains of the school’s netball team officially opened the dome in a ribbon cutting ceremony. Following the ceremony, guests were able to tour the dome followed by the campus.

“We are delighted that the dome has come to fruition, meaning that students can now play in safe, healthy air, whatever the conditions outside. As parents, we want our children to learn well and be happy at school, but their safety is the number one priority for all of us. Our thanks go to Nord Anglia Education for the investment, but also to all the teachers, students and parents who have helped to make this fantastic facility a reality,” says Principal Andy Puttock.

The dome measures 66m by 19m, covers the school’s external basketball courts, and can house several activities at the same time. It features a powerful air handling and filtration system and is fully temperature controlled. According to BSB faculty, the dome has already been specifically equipped for a range of sports including football, badminton, basketball, handball and volleyball, and is already being used in the curriculum in the after school activity program.

Students from Grade 2 and 3 drew pictures and wrote about reasons they love the new dome. Answers included “because the dome has fresh air; because we have a place to play when the school has indoor play.”

Photos: Courtesy of BSB

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Spring has definitely sprung, and we are all the happier for the warmer weather and more frequent appearance of blue skies. Spring also sees students’ and families’ calendars filling up with things to do and ways to enjoy the warmer weather.

Although the schools in Shunyi have their Spring Break at staggered times this year, once everyone comes back in to start the new term, everyone will be buckling down to academic work and a variety of activities until the run up to the summer break.

Here is this week’s compilation of things to look forward to beginning next month.

Parent Effectiveness Training Beginning April 10
Another round of Parenting Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.) sessions will be offered by Naomi Taylor in Shunyi. This time, the eight-week course will be hosted by the International Montessori School of Beijing. The schedule is Thursday mornings, 8.45-11.45am. Dates are April 10, 17, 24, May 8, 15, 22, 29, and June 5.

Join Taylor to learn a new way of communicating effectively with your children. The lessons on interrelating can also be applied outside of parenting situations because the emphasis is on mastering a manner of expressing what is important to you.

As a parenting training programme, P.E.T. does not revert to using punishment and reward methods. Instead, P.E.T. will equip you with skills to listen show understanding, and respond in an honest and non-judgmental way.

To make your reservation or to ask for more details, email Taylor at counseling with naomi@hotmail.co.uk

AoFan Sailing Resumes Courses on April 12
‘Tis the season for sailing, and AoFan Sailing Club is preparing to put their boats back on the water on April 12. Sailing is a fun way to learn new skills and socialize with friends.

Six-week sailing courses are held on Saturday or on Sunday at the Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Park in Shunyi. Level one training is from 10am-12nn, and level two training is from 2-4pm. Fees are RMB 1,800 for 12 hours.

A special three-day course will be available during the Labor Day weekend from May 1-3.

The AoFan summer camps will be held in five-day courses beginning from June 16 all the way to August 29. Camp hours are 10am-4pm, and include sailing, kayaking, rafting, paddleboarding and team-building games. Participants should pack their own lunch, and drinks and snacks are available for sale at the club. Fees are RMB 2,500 for a five-day course.

AoFan will be sending students to represent their club at the QingDao Youth Camp. This runs from June 16 to 21, and from June 23 to 28. The fee is RMB 7,500 and includes accommodation, transportation to and from QingDao Olympic Sailing Center, coaching fees and other activities.

See their website for more information, or call 139 1046 5950. Online registration already available for both the spring sessions beginning April, as well as the June to August camps.

Dance Classes for Kids with Dulwich Community Programme
Dulwich Community Programme classes are open to the entire community and are an opportunity for children to pick up a new skill while having fun. The Summer Term will run from mid-April until June.

Two new dance classes are being offered for the Summer Term: Bollywood and ballet.

Bollywood Dance, the dance form used in Indian cinema, is a mix of western contemporary, Indian classical, folk dance, belly dance, jazz, ballet, and even a bit of hip-hop. The class will be taught by Arunima Prajapati, Bollywood choreographer and trained Kathak dancer.

Two classes will be held:

• Ages 4-7, Mondays at the Riviera Campus, from 3.40-4.30pm, starting April 14.
• Ages 7-12, Fridays at the Legend Campus, from 3.40-4.30pm, starting April 18.

Fee for eight weeks for either class is RMB 1,200.

Ballet classes will also run for eight weeks, and will be available at both the Riviera Campus (taught by Shi Yuzhong) and Legend Campus (led by Ms. Bradbury, following the syllabus of the Royal Academy of Dance Pre-Primary Level).

• Ages 3.5-6.5, Thursdays at the Riviera Campus, from 3.40-4.30pm, starting April 17. Fee is RMB 1,040.
• Ages 4-7, Mondays at the Legend Campus, from 3.40-4.30pm, starting April 14. Fee is RMB 1,200.

Other classes available are off-ice figure skating and hockey, Incy Wincy yoga, swimming, basketball, football tag rugby, benchball, science club, clay modelling, and individual lessons for a variety of musical instruments.

Registration ongoing at the Legend Garden Campus Sports Club. You can email camilla.ojansivu@dulwich-beijing.cn or call 6454 9127 for information.

British School of Beijing Activities
The British School of Beijing is gearing up for several community activities over the next two months.

On Tuesday, April 15, a Year 6 Open Morning will be held for families who are interested in starting Secondary school at BSB in August.

Another Open Morning is set for Friday, April 25. This will be an opportunity for prospective families to see both the Primary and Secondary schools as they carry out a regular school day.

Email elisabeth.puttock@britishschool.org.cn for inquiries and to register for the Open Mornings.

Finally, BSB’s big Summer Fayre will be on Sunday, May 25, from 10.30am to 3pm. This event is open to the entire community, with indoor and outdoor games, craft activities entertainment from different groups of students and teachers, lots of picnic food for sale, and a sale of books, educational games, jewelry and gift items.

Interested vendors have until April 25 to fill in a booking form and pay the table fees. Please email elisabeth.puttock@britishschool.org.cn or anna.jin@britishschool.org.cn to obtain booking information and forms.

Photo by Dana Cosio-Mercado