CITY
"Wonderful Shakespeare workouts! I’m loving working in and around the text, finding new ways of exploring the language and characters and their predicaments!"
SHAKESPEARE WORKOUTS LONDON
Our Shakespeare Workouts in London have been running since October 2019. These 3-hour in-person workshops occur monthly, usually on a Sunday, in Central London.
The workouts provide a drop in class for actors to flex their classical muscles. There is no pressure, no prep needed just a desire to explore Shakespeare's work in a physical and practical way - it is called a workout for a reason! Each workout looks at a particular theme and explores speeches and scenes connected to this. Past themes include - Rebel Girls, Shakesqueer, That way madness lies and Everybody loves a villain. Each month we also invite a special guest Shakespeare practitioner to join us.
Email itsbardcity@gmail.com if you would like to be added to the mailing list and hear about upcoming workouts and follow us on Instagram @bardcity.
Some examples of previous workouts include:
BRING YOUR OWN BARD
Bring along your own piece of Shakespeare text that you would like to explore (monologue or sonnet). This can be a speech that you are already working on or something you've never worked on before - there is absolutely no expectation to be off-book, in fact it'll be important to have your script with you! We will explore your piece through text, language and character exercises individually as well as in groups. We will also be exploring the possibilities of Zoom Breakout rooms to allow smaller groups to work together on exercises.
This workshop is to help to open up or refresh a Shakespeare piece that you like and to help you find new perspectives and ideas as you continue working on your piece. There will be an opportunity to share our pieces with the group at the end (for those who want to). However, please note that this is not an audition monologue class - the aim is to find a deeper connection with your chosen text not to polish for a performance. Connection not perfection.
YOUR VOTE
Which character, scene or play do you want to work on? It's up to you. The week before the workout we post our themed poll on instagram and who ever comes out victor becomes the subject of our work.
Previous winners
Great lovers - Cleopatra
Power Couples - The Macbeths
Royalty - Queen Margaret
SCENE STUDY
In this workout we focus on a classic scene from Shakespeare's repertoire. We work through the entire scene discussing the language, the motivations for the characters and the stake of situation.
Previous scene studies
Cassius and Brutus
Romeo and Juliet
Claudio and Isabella
Oberon and Titania
A SENSE OF HUMOUR
During Shakespeare's era the medical belief was that people were made up of four humours. When one of these humours (choler, sanguine, melancholy and phlegm) were imbalanced it would signify an illness. Shakespeare would use this language within his plays and is often a useful way to approach character and relationships.
THE PLAY'S THE THING
In this ambitious workshop we tackle the movement of a whole play. We focus on one particular theme or character and follow the journey from beginning to end.
Previous plays
Hamlet
Macbeth