Shakespeare in a nutshell

Shakespeare; creative genius, wordsmith and innovator, was also a man of the people. His influence on the English language has stood the test of time, and lines such as ‘in a nutshell,’ ‘mum's the word,’ ‘eaten out of house and home,’ ‘all's well that ends well" and ‘a wild goose chase’ are just some of those in common, everyday usage. 
 
It therefore seems apt that an LJMU graduate has produced synopses of some of his most popular work using the modern day text message language emojis – icons used to symbolise emotions, actions and items.
 
BA (Hons) Graphic Design graduate Jamie Rector decided to use emoticons in this way in order to rebrand Shakespeare to make it contemporary and help younger generations engage with the Bard’s work.
 
Her emoji versions of the plays include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth, with the project seeing the traditional books backed in covers featuring the emoji synopses, making them easy for young people to understand. 
 
Jamie’s work, entitled ‘Shakespeare Today’ was first noticed in an exhibition by Creative Review magazine’s Talent Spotting initiative which aims to highlight up-and-coming artists and design talent from universities across the country.
 
The leading creative industries magazine has selected Jamie as one of only 20 art and design graduates to have her work showcased throughout the country. ‘Shakespeare Today’ will now be displayed in major shopping centres and railway stations across the UK.
 
Jamie’s success in the initiative has received coverage in several media titles including Metro and the Manchester Evening News.