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A musical theatre adaptation of Shakespeare's most famous love story, Romeo and Juliet, will be staged in Bahrain by British theatre company Shakespeare 4 Kidz (S4K).

The company has been touring since 1997 featuring a 13-member cast, a live band and support crew of five and recent performances in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have received rave reviews.

Julian Chenery, S4K's founder and creative director, said that the company is committed to making the Bard's plays accessible for young children and that S4K's 'Romeo and Juliet - The Musical' is an ideal introduction to Shakespeare.

"It can be enjoyed by children of all ages and ability levels," he said. "We aim to enhance the educational experience of Shakespeare for young people by providing a map of opportunities for lifelong learning and pleasure in his work."

The storyline of S4K's Romeo and Juliet - The Musical stays close to the well known plot of the son and daughter of two arch enemies meeting, falling in love and secretly marrying before family feuds come between them, with tragic consequences.

The script is in modern, simple English that is mixed with parts of Shakespeare's original words. The Montagues are in Hawaiin shirts and the Capulets are in leather jackets and each principal character had a song.

International reviewers have described the show as a 'fast-paced adaptation', updating the period, simplifying the text, using projected backdrops to contextualise scenes, highlighting comedy, interspersing the action with catchy songs, dance routines and slapstick, and introducing some novel characterisation."

Havajava, the music and coffee store in Seef, are the event managers of the show. Paula Mansoor, the organiser, said that this year's show follows a successful performance of Hamlet by the same theatre company in Bahrain.

She said: "We have got a good response with the morning show sold out to different schools around the country. S4K's Romeo and Juliet - The Musical is also set in a modern setting and will be nothing short of a brilliant performance."

Performances are on 11.30am and 6.30pm at the Salman Cultural Centre. Each performance lasts two hours 10 minutes, including a 20-minute interval. For tickets call 17582324