By Becca Green, 2nd Year English Literature and Creative Writing Student
At være eller ikke at være / Être, ou ne pas être / Ser, o no ser / að vera eða ekki vera / Ser ou não ser / 生存还是毁灭 / Sein oder Nichtsein / Essere o non essere / быть или не быть
York International Shakespeare Festival is coming back this year for its 10 year anniversary! The festival runs from the 22nd of April until the 4th of May and the line-up has events for all beloved Shakespeare fans, and even ones for those who are only just discovering his legendary work. This year there is a brand new feature event that aims to celebrate the love of Shakespeare on a global scale! Taking place on a day set just for all things Hamlet, the ‘To be or not to be’ event will showcase readings of the tragic hero’s monologue from one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays in multiple different languages. It is a chance to celebrate culture, community and creativity!
The inspiration for this event was born in the birthplace of Shakespeare himself. On a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, students from York St John University immersed themselves in their own global exploration of the text. It was a chance to celebrate international students and get involved with their Shakespeare studies in a brand new, immersive way.
YSJ PhD student Mie Claridge discusses her experience on the trip which inspired the upcoming festival event:
“It was a chilly but sunny day in March and after taking in the exhibition and seeing the house that Shakespeare was born in, we all gathered in the courtyard. There is a small podium where the museum sometimes stages readings, so Saffron suggested that we read and perform some scenes from plays studied on the module. I am very much not a performer, so although I wanted to get involved, I wasn’t sure how. Saffron urged me to read a section of Hamlet because my native language is Danish, so I googled the ‘to be or not to be’ soliloquy and took to the podium to do a dramatic reading. Reading it in my native language was much less daunting than reading it in English because no one would know if I missed a word out! Others joined in with translations of ‘to be or not to be’ in their native languages and there were versions in Polish, Spanish, Japanese, and German. It was really cool to hear the same section read out in different languages because, although you can’t understand the words, the rhythm and intonation consistent across all translations makes it easily recognisable.”
‘Death by Hamlet’ takes place on the 29th of April on which the ‘To be or not to be’ event will take place. The festival is currently recruiting budding performers and Shakespeare enthusiasts to get involved with this sensational event. If you are an international student, someone who has a native language other than English, or perhaps is interested in preforming Shakespeare in urban slang or sign language, then please do get involved!
Expressions of interest can be sent to mieclaridge@gmail.com and we look forward to hearing your unique rendition of the soliloquy and celebrating Shakespeare on a global scale with everyone at the festival!
Click here for YISF information and booking links.
