by BBC South Yorkshire contributor Rory Dollard

Last week a room packed to capacity with both young and old alike was captivated by voices from beyond the grave.

Enough, though, about those indie kids dancing to Freddie Mercury, Kurt Cobain et al at the Leadmill. It was the Sheffield Drama Company's interpretation of Hamlet that caught my eye on Saturday night.

A good helping of poison, duels, betrayal, filial ruptures and spirits in the night was served up by this youthful cast, who being largely past or present students should be well versed in such things.

Panto: All the fun of the stage!

I must confess to being something of a stranger to the theatre in my time in South Yorkshire but a consistent flyering campaign and being at an extremely loose end led me to take in a spot of Shakespeare.

After all what else is left for a boy who fails to see the appeal of either Republic or the literary curse that is Harry Potter?

The first thing that struck me was the atmospheric venue. The University drama studio is a converted church, you see, and while it is comfortable and appealing as an entertainment house, there is still something foreboding about it.

It’s a bit like being at mass as a young child, upon entering the building you get the idea that everything that goes on is somehow terribly important.

I used to concentrate on putting away my football stickers, now I settle for turning off my mobile phone and watching.

- Rory Dollard

Back in those days I used to concentrate on putting away my football stickers and sitting straight on the pew, now I settle for turning off my mobile phone and watching. (That said I still haven’t quite learned to sit straight yet.)

The live staging of a play is of course, infinitely different to any of the other mediums we know and love (all too well in some cases).

There are no auto-cues, no second takes and no pyrotechnics. It is a singularly more intimate experience than a night in front of the telly but in saying this it is not solely for academics and performers. I enjoyed this show as straightforward entertainment as much as anything else.

You might get really lucky, and get a standby ticket for a top show!

The production was faithfully tackled, eschewing the tempting (if occasionally dumbed down) option of setting the story in either a modern context or with modern language.

The poetic and rhythmic style in which the bard so famously wrote was observed, on the whole, excellently although it must be said that at times some characters tended to deliver their lines in too rapid-fire a way.

No doubt too that I, along with any other members of the audience who studied King Lear at school instead of Hamlet, missed a great deal of the true subtlety and depth of the performance.

To my unfamiliar eyes at least, three things were immediately obvious - firstly that the cast performed admirably (Hamlet, Polonius and Horatio particularly so), secondly that I should really do this kind of thing more often and lastly that I ought to read a good deal more Shakespeare.

I think I’ll start with Hamlet.

When? Amateur and student productions across Sheffield are cheap and often of a very high standard. Professional productions are usually more expensive, but special offers and standby tickets mean they can often fall within the shoestring budget. Look out for ones at smaller theatres, such as the Crucible Studio.

Where? Details of theatres can be found in ourStage Listings

How much? Varies - but expect to pay around £3 and up

Getting there South Yorkshire's theatres are well-served by public transport. Contact the theatres or the SYPTE for more information.

Suits Everyone, depending on the production. Look out for special shows for kids!

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