A Shakespearean Stunned: SAPMAT CEO Stephen Steinhaus on a Revolutionary Romeo and Juliet
SAPMAT CEO Stephen Steinhaus had the privilege of attending a performance of Romeo and Juliet at The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry on Wednesday the 5th of March.
This was a special evening for Stephen, not just because some of our Coventry Academy students were involved in the production - writing some of the music and offering fresh perspectives on the classic tragedy - but because Stephen is a true Shakespearean. For him, this wasn’t just another night at the theatre—it was a full-circle moment, connecting his past studies, teaching, and deep love for Shakespeare.
Stephen has taught, directed, and acted in productions of Romeo and Juliet more than a dozen times. He even has a credit on IMDb for Romeo and Juliet: A Critical Guide."
There is a history in all men’s lives
Before opening Solihull Academy and becoming Executive Principal and then CEO of SAPMAT, Stephen taught English and drama for over 20 years in both The United States and here in the UK. In fact, when he was a student, he came to England as a Fullbright scholar to study at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford Upon Avon, part of the University of Birmingham.
His thesis was on teaching Shakespeare to culturally diverse student groups in urban England, specifically focusing on the best ways to teach Shakespeare, so that students could make it their own.
Stephen spent time in Bradford working with fellow English teacher Alex Fellowes on code switching within Shakespeare; teaching children to translate the Bard’s work into modern English and even switching between classical Shakespearean and modern language mid-sentence. Even switching between modern English and the students’ home language.
He also worked with a school in Tower Hamlets in London on intertextual interpretation in Shakespeare, which refers to the way his works interact with other texts—both those that came before and those that have emerged after.
Stephen wrote about these experiences extensively at the time. So moving back to the modern day, needless to say, it would take an exceptional performance to impress this Shakespeare aficionado…and impressed he was!
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players
While enthusiastically relating his experience in the theatre he told me that
“It was like somebody had read my research notes, updated them by 30 years and made it so much better. It was amazing.”
He remarked upon the effortless code, form and lexicon -switching (text, lyrics and new dialogue) and the diverse layers of performance: recorded and live, old and new, pre-existing and original.
Benvolio’s performance was a standout moment for Stephen, with his diverse skillset and interpretation leaving him asking “where the heck did he come from?”
This above all: to thine own self be true
Stephen loved the bricolage of sounds both within the performance and in the introductory and interval music (which our pupils helped to compose).
He said “There were so many layers and textures, and our students’ work fit right in with every other element of the production: to the point where you couldn’t tell which was produced by our pupils and which had been professionally done.”
High praise indeed!
Stephen rightly points out “Why shouldn’t our students be able to grapple with Shakespeare and succeed with it? That is what this Trust is all about.”
James Heaton, Assistant headteacher at Coventry Academy certainly agrees:
“For the year 11 students from Coventry Academy to be significantly involved in a truly powerful and contemporary production of Romeo and Juliet is such a wonderful opportunity. This demonstrates the importance of the partnership working within the arts in engaging our young people. The Belgrade Theatre is such an iconic institution within Coventry, for our students to be able to state their involvement within their CV’s and interviews is so powerful, especially, as they will soon be accessing their post 16 destinations.”
It’s not often that a performance affects Mr Steinhaus so profoundly, particularly not when he knows the story so well and has seen if performed so many times. He even admitted that he did not expect it of this production upon walking into the theatre. However, the show left him feeling quite differently.
“This was emotional for me personally…equal parts engrossing, humbling, inspiring… and bursting with pride for our Coventry students! However, even just as an ordinary punter, I was really struck by the performance and interpretation…what a show!”
Thank you to the team at the Belgrade Theatre and That’s a Rap for giving our students such a fantastic opportunity. This performance didn’t just impress a Shakespeare expert—it reinforced the power of theatre to transform, inspire, and connect. Congratulations to Coventry Academy’s students on their outstanding achievement!