Plenty on show to rememberShakespeare

It started on Monday, and the university is hosting a variety of events throughout the week culminating on the day of Shakespeare’s death, April 23.

Sue Roberts, senior lecturer at the university is running two of the main events.

She said: ‘The whole festival idea was to celebrate the life of our most significant English playwright and poet, who died 400 years ago this April.

‘This is the first time we have held a community festival and have achieved it all with the aid of our university students.’

The main team for the project from the university is Dr Rosie Paice, Lynda Povey and Mrs Roberts.

The event is funded from ticket sales, fundraising events and sponsorships, the first of which was from Ingrain, a Portsmouth-based creative company.

The Shakespearean Menagerie is an exhibition running throughout the festival period until June 7.

The Sonnet Oscars was held yesterday and saw prizes given out for the schools’ sonnet competition.

The Great Cakespeare Bake-off, a Great British Bake Off-style competition with a Shakespearean twist, is being held today at The Phipps Cafe from 5pm to7pm.

Songs and Sonnets takes place this evening and involves musical cabaret and a sonnet performance at the university’s Eldon Building at the university from 7.30pm. Tickets are £2 on the door.

The Ruff Fashion Show is on Friday and will showcase local design talent from the university, the community and students from neighbouring universities.

It is being held at The Square Tower in Portsmouth, 6pm to 9pm.

Tickets are £9.50 or £4.50 for students.

The evening is due to comprise of an exhibition of student creations and performances from local groups, including Southzone Streetdance, Southsea Shakespeare Actors, students from Bournemouth University and CCADS Theatre group.

For more information of events being held over the week visit maap.port.ac.uk/about.php