McBeat and the Lil' Shake Crew: Reimagining Shakespeare through Rap

Make language acquisition and literary analysis approachable and fun for students through rap. A powerful storytelling medium, students will uncover Shakespeare’s thematic diversity, literary devices and relatability through rap beats and song lyrics.

This interactive workshop-in-performance focuses on two main elements—original rap performances and interactive activities. Through this programme, students will get to reimagine the classic story of Macbeth in a contemporary setting.

Facilitator-performers will explore the plot, characters and themes of the story, while discussing key literary devices and drawing links to contemporary social contexts, highlighting the adaptability and accessibility of Shakespeare. Set in a collaborative creative environment, students will be given the opportunity to engage in discussions related to the text, and suggest settings or character choices for some of the rap songs.

Learning Objectives

• Gain an inspired interest in classical works of literature
• Foster collaboration and teamwork in creative meaning-making
• Identify and apply key literary devices used in Shakespeare’s text