Clonakilty Shakespeare festival marks bard's 450th birthday

Sonnets at breakfast, coffee with Hamlet, and a selection of soliloquies from the jukebox — it’s Clon Upon Avon as one West Cork town celebrates the 450th birthday of the Bard.

The first-ever Shakespearean festival to take place in Clonakilty features everything from a sort of human jukebox –—The Shakebox — offering a selection of 38 excerpts from famous plays on demand, to open-air theatre with a performance of scenes from As You Like It in the spectacular surrounds of the Inchydoney amphitheatre.

The five-day event, which runs from April 23 to 27, also offers a renaissance concert, movies, recitals, impromptu readings of famous plays in the library, children’s games, a ‘Bard Hunt’ and a generous sprinkling of child-friendly events — junior versions of Shakespearean stories, children’s theatre and puppet-making.

There will be sonnet readings at breakfast in Gearoidín’s café between 10.30am and 11.30am on Friday 25th, while Betty Brosnan’s café will host a Coffee, Cake and Hamlet event on Thursday, April 24 between 9.30am and 10.30am.

The brainchild of Clonakilty resident and languages teacher, Italian native Mattia Leoni, this celebration of the birth of Shakespeare, who is believed to have been born in the English town of Stratford-Upon-Avon on April 23, 1564, has captured the imagination of local actors, musicians and residents in the town.

“The idea came because of the 450th anniversary of the birth of Shakespeare, so I thought we could do something,” says Mattia, 36, who has lived in Clonakilty for the past six years.

“Clonakilty is a town which is very interested in cultural events. I came up with lots of ideas and I started to contact people to see if they were up for it,” he says.

Just about everyone was — and when he asked local restaurants, hotels and cafes and the public library whether they were interested in hosting an event, there was immediate interest, he reports.

The festival is a non-profit event — activities are either free or very reasonably priced, and in several cases the proceeds will be donated to charity.

Leoni himself is presenting the “Shakebox,” which will be the final event of the festival, is in aid of Co Action, and takes place in O’Donovan’s Hotel at 8pm on Sunday 27th.

“I’ll deliver small excerpts from Shakespeare’s plays – it’s like a juke box! I’ll offer a selection of 38 pieces from a number of plays that people can choose from, such as ‘To Be or Not to Be’ from Hamlet, and excepts from Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth.

“We want to entertain and also to help people rediscover Shakespeare in a way that’s accessible to everybody. I really enjoy Shakespeare and I think it’s something that could give people some good quality fun.

It’s all about culture and fun, and all community-based.”

* www.clonuponavon.com