ELEVEN schools from around Bolton are to take to the stage to celebrate the work of William Shakespeare.

The youngsters will perform four 30-minutes productions of the bard's classic tragedies, romances and comedies at the Albert Halls from October 19 to 21.

Audiences will be treated to abridged versions of Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It.

The planned performances are part of the Shakespeare Schools' Festival, sponsored by the Cheshire Building Society.

Ten years ago, 12 of Shakespeare's most popular plays were abridged for the Channel 4 Wales and BBC series Shakespeare -- The Animated Tales. The adaptations are now a core resource of schools across the country teaching Shakespeare to 11 to 15 year-olds.

has teamed up with the Festival to deliver the programme to the North West