RSC SummeR SChool - Royal Shakespeare Company

The RSC Shakespeare Toolkit for Teachers
Shakespeare Institute
Church Street
Stratford-upon-Avon
A unique educational resource for the teaching
and learning of Shakespeare which offers practical
drama-based approaches to three of Shakespeare’s
most popular plays: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet,
and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
This resource brings the
rehearsal rooms of the
RSC to life.
It offers a bank of accessible
drama activities, with an
explanation of how each
works, lesson plans for
learners of all abilities
plus guidance notes and
photocopiable worksheets.
‘Clear, insightful and rooted
in effective practice, this
toolkit deserves a place in
every school and department
that is committed to the
effective teaching of
Shakespeare … it needs to
be in the hands of every
teacher who wants
Shakespeare to engage
and excite young people
in the classroom.’
Mick Connell,
School Improvement Advisor,
English and the Arts,
Rotherham
The RSC Shakespeare
Toolkit for Teachers
AN ACTIVE APPROACH TO BRINGING SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS ALIVE IN THE CLASSROOM
MACBETH
ROMEO AND JULIET
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Morte d’Arthur photograph by Ellie Kurttz
6
RSC
summer
3School
rd
Sunday 15 - Friday 20 August 2010

Romeo and Juliet photograph by Ellie Kurttz
6
RSC
summer
3School
rd
Sunday 15 - Friday 20 August 2010
The RSC Summer School, which was founded in 1948, is held under the auspices of the
Royal Shakespeare Company. Until 1961 it was directed by John Garrett and then until 1970,
by John Wilders. Stanley Wells was sole director until 1990; from 1991 to 1998 he co-directed
the school with Robert Smallwood who then co-directed it with Peter Holland until 2002.
In 2003 and 2004 the Director was Professor Russell Jackson.
In 2005 the school was directed for the first time by Professor Kate Mcluskie of the
Shakespeare Institute who directs again this year. The 63rd RSC Summer School is produced
by the RSC in collaboration with the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham.
The school was originally designed for teachers of English in schools, but membership has
widened to include many people who come because of their keen amateur or professional
interest in Shakespeare and theatre.
The purpose of the school is to provide an opportunity to hear scholarly and critical opinions
about Shakespeare and also to learn something about the practical business of presenting
his plays on stage. There are lectures on the plays in the RSC current repertoire and on general
Shakespeare topics. The speakers include scholars, critics, actors, directors and artists
responsible for the interpretation of Shakespeare in the theatre.
Date
Tuesday 17 August
Wednesday 18 August
Thursday 19 August
Friday 20 August
The courtyard THEATRE
Romeo and Juliet, 7.15pm
Morte d’Arthur, 7.15pm
Antony and Cleopatra, 7.15pm
King Lear, 7.15pm

RSC Summer School Itinerary 2010
Day 10.00 am 11.30 am 2.30 pm Evening
Sunday
1 5
August
Evening Reception
and Welcome
6-8pm
Monday
1 6
August
How Cléopâtre became Cleopatra:
the Evolution of a Renaissance Icon
Pascale Aebischer
Young People’s Shakespeare
Jacqui O’Hanlon and members of the Ensemble
Shakespeare: As Seen By…
Mary Johnson
Tuesday
1 7
August
An Actor’s Approach
Noma Dumezweni
Playing Romeo
Sam Troughton
The Life of an RSC Assistant Director
Justin Audibert, Michael Fentiman, Helen Leblique and
Vik Sivalingam
Performance of
Romeo and Juliet
7.15pm
The Courtyard Theatre
Wednesday
18
August
The Director Talks
Gregory Doran
Adapting Arthur
Mike Poulton
Love and Idolatry in Romeo and Juliet
Alison Shell
Performance of
Morte d’Arthur
7.15pm
The Courtyard Theatre
Thursday
19
August
Where is Life?
Simon Palfrey
Arthur Revived: The Undying Attractions of
the Arthurian Legend
Ananya Kabir
The Performability of King Lear
Catherine Alexander
Performance of
Antony and cleopatra
7.15pm
The Courtyard Theatre
Friday
20
August
Playing Lear
Greg Hicks
The Season
Stanley Wells and Michael Billington
12.30
Buffet Lunch
Performance of
King Lear
7.15pm
The Courtyard Theatre

EVENT
DETAILS
The 63rd RSC Summer School is produced
by the Royal Shakespeare Company with the
Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham.
Unless otherwise indicated, all events take place
at the Shakespeare Institute on Church Street,
Stratford-upon-Avon. As with all live theatre work,
there may occasionally be unavoidable lastminute
alterations to the programme, although
naturally we do everything we can to avoid this.
Monday 16 August
How Cléopâtre became Cleopatra:
the Evolution of a Renaissance Icon
Pascale Aebischer, Senior Lecturer
in Renaissance Studies, University of
Exeter reveals the ways that the racial
representation of Cleopatra evolved in the
sixteenth century.
Antony and Cleopatra photograph by Ellie Kurttz
Shakespeare: As Seen By…
A performance history of Shakespeare’s
Antony and Cleopatra in images and
conversation led by Theatre Practitioner
Mary Johnson.
wednesday 18 August
The Director Talks
Gregory Doran, RSC Chief Associate Director,
discusses the process of creating his
production of Malory’s Morte d’Arthur.
Adapting Arthur
The adaptor of this season’s production of
Malory’s Morte d’Arthur, Mike Poulton
gives an insight into his process and the
challenges of the transforming the text from
page to stage.
Morte d’Arthur photograph by Ellie Kurttz
Arthur Revived: The Undying Attractions
of the Arthurian Legend
Ananya Kabir, Senior Lecturer in
Commonwealth and Postcolonial Literatures
at the University of Leeds, explores the ways
that the Arthurian Legends is re-animated in
different cultural contexts.
The Performability of King Lear
Fellow of the Shakespeare Institute,
Catherine Alexander considers the
performance history of King Lear and its
adaptations and the compact it creates with
its audience.
friday 20 August
Playing Lear
RSC actor Greg Hicks discusses his portrayal
of King Lear in David Farr’s production for the
RSC this year.
The Season with Stanley Wells and
Michael Billington
Theatre critic Michael Billington and
Shakespeare expert Stanley Wells give their
views on this season’s productions.
Hamlet photograph by Hugo Glendinning
Young People’s Shakespeare
RSC Director of Education Jacqui O’Hanlon
and members of the Ensemble talk about the
evolution of the Young People’s Shakespeare
performances which toured to schools,
and can be seen in The Courtyard Theatre
this year.
tuesday 17 August
An Actor’s Approach
RSC Actor Noma Dumezweni talks about her
role as the Nurse in this season’s production
of Romeo and Juliet, offering an insight into
her rehearsal process and life as part of the
long Ensemble.
The Life of an RSC Assistant Director
RSC Assistant Directors Justin Audibert,
Michael Fentiman, Helen Leblique and
Vik Sivalingam, speak about their
experiences over the last 2 years and
what the future holds for them.
Playing Romeo
RSC Actor Sam Troughton, Romeo in this
season’s production of Romeo and Juliet,
discusses his experience of working with
Rupert Goold and how he has approached
playing one of Shakespeare’s most famous
characters.
Love and Idolatry in Romeo and Juliet
Alison Shell, Lecturer in the Department
of English Studies at the University of
Durham, talks about Shakespeare’s
connection between love and religion in
Romeo and Juliet.
thursday 19 August
Where is Life?
Fellow of Brasenose College Oxford,
Simon Palfrey, examines the implications for
actors and readers in treating the characters’
experiences as ‘real’ in King Lear and
Antony and Cleopatra.
King Lear photograph by Manuel Harlan

useful
information
Summer School Registration Fee
The registration fee of £150 covers all lectures,
an opening reception at the Shakespeare
Institute on Sunday 15 August from 6pm
and a buffet lunch also at the Institute on
Friday 20 August at 12.30pm.
RSC Membership
From just £15 a year you can become an
RSC Member and enjoy a wide range of
benefits. Details below, visit
www.rsc.org.uk/joinus or call the
membership office on 01789 403440.
Associate Member £15 per year
As an RSC Associate Member you receive
Priority Booking of up to two weeks with a
dedicated hotline into the RSC Box Office,
regular Members’ Newsletters and
email updates and 10% discount in
The Courtyard Theatre Café Bar.
Full Member £36 per year
As an RSC Full Member you will receive up to
four week’s priority booking with a dedicated
hotline into the RSC Box Office, Director’s
selection of four exclusive production
photographs per year, regular Members’
newsletters, access to Members’ only web
pages, special ticket offers – save £20 on two
top price tickets in Stratford (conditions apply)
– and 10% discount in RSC shops, Mail Order
and at The Courtyard Theatre Café Bar.
Overseas Membership
This is available for those living outside the UK.
To find out more or to join today please contact
the Membership Office on
01789 403440.
Gift Membership
All Membership levels can be bought as a gift.
RSC Friends
As a network of the RSC’s most active
supporters, RSC Friends are important
advocates for the Company, encouraging people
to enjoy a closer relationship with the RSC and
its work on and off stage. RSC Friends support
the Company in many ways – as volunteers
and as fundraisers for specific projects.
Joining the RSC Friends costs £20 a year and is
open to all RSC Full and Associate Members.
Benefits include a lively programme of events,
encouraging a greater understanding of the
RSC and its work, plus a quarterly Friends’
Newsletter and further opportunities to become
more closely involved with the RSC. For more
information or to join, please contact the
Membership Office on 01789 403440 or join
online at www.rsc.org.uk/joinus.
Support the RSC
As a registered charity the RSC encourages
public support. There are many ways in which
you can help the RSC including joining
Shakespeare’s Circle, which starts at £8.50
a month, RSC Patrons, Corporate Support or
by leaving a bequest. To find out more please
visit www.rsc.org.uk/joinus or telephone
01789 201751.
RSC Online www.rsc.org.uk
Keep up to date – find out all the latest RSC News
and read about our extensive events programme.
Buy Online
Visit the RSC website to buy theatre tickets (no
booking fee applies) or visit our Online Shop
for a range of exclusive gifts – it’s quick, easy
to use and completely secure.
As You Like It photograph by Ellie Kurttz
Learn More About Shakespeare
Visit Exploring Shakespeare at
www.rsc.org.uk/explore to view video clips
and photo galleries from the productions
and rehearsals, listen to interviews with
directors, designers and actors. Each play
has additional notes on performance history and
Shakespeare’s sources, plus information about
Stratford-upon-Avon and Shakespeare’s life
and times.
RSC Email Updates
Visit the RSC website to sign up for regular
email updates and keep up to date with all the
RSC News.
RSC Library (Including the RSC Archive)
The Shakespeare Centre Library and Archive
is a comprehensive library covering all
aspects of Shakespeare’s life, works and
times. It contains the combined collections
of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and the
Royal Shakespeare Company, including the
RSC’s archives, and is available for the use
of members of the Summer School at the
Shakespeare Centre in Henley Street.
An appointment is not necessary unless
wishing to view videos. Opening hours are
10am – 4.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday, and Saturday mornings 9.30am -
12.30pm. Your Summer School Membership
Card will be required as proof of entry.
The telephone number is 01789 204016.
For more information see
www.shakespeare.org.uk
Romeo and Juliet photograph by Ellie Kurttz
RSC Costume Hire
Costumes from past RSC productions are
available for hire for theatrical productions,
films and TV. Please contact Alison Mitchell,
telephone 01789 205920 or email
costume.hire@rsc.org.uk
RSC Gift Vouchers
Do you know someone with a love of theatre?
Royal Shakespeare Company Gift Vouchers make
an ideal and lasting gift. Vouchers can be used
to buy theatre tickets for RSC performances
in Stratford-upon-Avon or for a 12 month
membership. They can be purchased for any
amount and are valid for 12 months. To buy
RSC Gift Vouchers or for more information
please call the RSC Box Office on
0844 800 1114, visit
www.rsc.org.uk/giftvouchers or drop in to
The Courtyard Theatre Box Office.
Antony and Cleopatra photograph by
Ellie Kurttz
King Lear photograph by Manual Harlan

Useful
Telephone
Numbers
Shakespeare Institute 0121 414 9500
The Courtyard Theatre 01789 272203
RSC Ticket Hotline 0844 800 1114
Leisure Centre 01789 268826
Doctors Surgery 01789 292201
Police Station, Rother Street 01789 414111
Warwick Hospital 01926 495321
Taxi 01789 414007
Antony and Cleopatra photograph by Ellie Kurttz