RSC SummeR SChool - Royal Shakespeare Company

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