IT’S  just over a week until 450^th birthday of Big Will – Shakespeare, that is, and it is no surprise to hear that Bell Shakespeare is making big plans.

In fact, the Shakespearean acting company and Google Australia plan to kick off worldwide birthday on Wednesday, April 23 with a new Google Australia partnership and six days of live and interactive Shakespearean activity.

The whole show starts with “Shakespeare’s Birthday Bash,” billed as “a live 15min performance from some of Shakespeare’s greatest characters, including Cleopatra, Hamlet, Romeo, Juliet and  Richard III,” as well as – wait for it – Shakespeare himself!

Then on Monday, April 28, there will be an “In Conversation” with Bell Shakespeare’s co-artistic directors, John Bell and Peter Evans.

On Tuesday, April 29, there’ll be the “Hamlet Acting Workshop,” a video tutorial, exploring Bell Shakespeare’s approach to Shakespearean text, using one of his most popular plays, as yet unnamed.

On Wednesday, April 30, model, actress and founder of Impossible.com, Lily Cole, will be conversing with Bell about Shakespeare, the Globe and the world of theatre, though presumably not about fashion.

After that will come schools program, “Hangout in History,” a 30min interactive history lesson encountering characters of the Elizabethan era, and the life and times of the great characters.

Finally, on Friday May 2, there will be a venture called “Take the stage” where the general public is invited to perform the balcony scene from “Romeo and Juliet,” line by line.

Bell Shakespeare has taken the occasion to remind us that its  core mission remains the same as it was, since it launched itself in a circus tent in 1990; to reinterpret the words, complex themes, raw and ideas found in each Shakespeare play and show their relevance for modern Australians.

Join Bell Shakespeare and Google Australia Shakespeare celebration, for all details visit bellshakespeare.com.au/450thbirthday