SHAKESPEARE is being taken on a trip to Spain courtesy of a group of young Suffolk actors.Members of The Cast, who will be performing Hamlet at Sir John Mills Theatre, in Ipswich, today, have been invited to take the production to Madrid in January.

SHAKESPEARE is being taken on a trip to Spain courtesy of a group of young Suffolk actors.

Members of The Cast, who will be performing Hamlet at Sir John Mills Theatre, in Ipswich, today, have been invited to take the production to Madrid in January.

The offer comes from the Princeton Academy in the Spanish city which has also offered to pay for all expenses for the 14 members of the group. Students from the academy visit Woodbridge every year to put on a play of their own but this will be the first time The Cast have been able to make the return journey.

William Challis, director of Hamlet, said: "It is the result of a lot of hard work by our players and is thoroughly deserved. We are all really thrilled about it.

"We will be there for five days and do two shows – one in an open air theatre, although we are assured the weather will be fine.

"Our players are aged between 14 and 22 and several of them have been with us for years, honing their acting skills. This offer is great for their confidence. It confirms the high standard of the shows we produce."

He added: "Our real strength is that we make Shakespeare accessible to people who have found something like Hamlet too intimidating in the past. We are true to the script and we do not go in for gimmicks but we find, through our feedback questionnaires, that we are somehow managing to provide a performance that is wonderful to watch and leaves people spellbound.

"I like to think if Shakespeare was in the audience he would be proud of us."

Hamlet took to the stage in Halesworth earlier this month and also enjoyed a four-day run at Woodbridge's Methodist Church during the summer. And tonight it is in Ipswich.

Tim Davies, 22, from Saddlemakers Lane, in Melton, plays the title role in the production and said: "Hamlet is the role every actor wants to play. It is very demanding but I think I am getting into the skin of the character.

"The response so far has been very good and it will be great to go to Spain. I'm really looking forward to it."

n Hamlet will be at Sir John Mills Theatre, in Gatacre Road, Ipswich at 7.30pm today. Tickets cost £8 (concessions £5) and are available at the theatre or by calling 01473 211498.