THE stage is set for the trial of England's most famous playwright.

William Shakespeare will himself take centre stage centuries after his death being accused that his work is boring ­— and sensationally of being out-of-date!

Shakespeare on Trial is a musical play for schools celebrating the life and works of the Bard more than 400 years after his death in which the playwright and his works are on trial to see if they're still as relevant today.

It is being performed by the musicians of Kearsley Youth Brass Band and the young thespians at St Stephen's CE Primary School in Kearsley ­— with the audience acting as the jury.

Chris Sherburn plays William Shakespeare, and Jen Osbourne-Williams is the Judge ­— and the audience are the jury.

Director Rhiannon Symonds, a student at the Royal Northern College of Music is a self-confessed Shakespeare fan, but is all too aware that the jury is the theatre-going audience.

She said: "The cast and the band are really enjoying it. This is a new concept for the Kearsley Youth Brass Band.

"The opening is a shock because it opens with the fact that Shakespeare is dead! The play is made up of a capiche of Shakespeare's quotes with the judge often saying them but not realising that he is."

The play features a song by Lady McBeth singing about how she is an empowering character.

The show takes place at Kearsley Mount Methodist Church on Tuesday, March 26 at 7pm

Tickets are £5, with £2 for concessions ­— seniors and under-18s.

Tickets can be bought on the door or reserved in advance by emailing kearsleyybb@gmail.com

Refreshments will be served after the show.

Money raised will go towards the bands 2020 tour.