BUDDING actors got their big break as they staged some of Shakespeare's most famous works at Clacton's Princes Theatre.

Pupils from five schools spent months rehearsing some of the Bard's best-loved lines from Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Hamlet and The Tempest.

Youngsters finally got the chance to tread the boards on the big stage last week in front of paying audiences.

Children from Alton Park Junior, Whitehall Academy and Holland Park Primary in Clacton, Sir Martin Frobisher Academy in Jaywick and Hamford Primary in Walton performed the classics as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival, which came to Clacton for the first time last year.

It is the UK’s largest drama festival and works with more than 1,000 schools almost 140 professional theatres across the country the give youngsters the chance to show off their talents in their own productions.

Tendring Council culture boss Tanya Ferguson said: “The pupils had the chance to work with the Shakespeare School Festival which was a fantastic experience in itself.

“They also performed in front of family and friends on a professional stage after months of hard work and dedication.”