Evaluation of Show 2

Show Two
So, the final show before Brighton and Stratford! Excitinggg! 
The second show for me was good, I wasn't nervous which meant I could take my time as a performer and deliver the best I could! I think the second time round all the girls bonded more and I really felt this bubbly atmosphere between us when performing. 
However this time we had a different audience to play for, our parents and relatives. Sarah did pre warn us that parents wont laugh because they don't know when to, but I felt we got a couple of giggles as a whole cast. There was a very different change in the room, I felt like I had to work EXTRA hard in order to make people laugh so I pushed my character even more! 
The dance was successful and I think got people engaged with the performance. The boys scenes when they are hiding from each other was comical and as we were watching from the changing rooms even we were laughing. 

I felt that the second time round was more interesting and had more energy to it. 

To improve and do next time is ensure that I am spacing correctly and that I am not blocking anyone, I felt I needed to be more aware of my surroundings and not block anyone. There were ocasions in the shooting scene where I was blocking "Forester" all I needed to do was spread out a little more and it would of been better! 
Another thing to improve on is to make sure I don't get too rude as my character, she is sassy but she isn't rude, I did feel I had a lot of disgust facial expressions which seemed good at the time but now I look back I don't see the point. 

All in all I thought it was a really good show best one yet! Can't wait for Brighton and Stratford!

Evaluation of Show 1

Show One
My aims for the first performance:

• Speak loudly and clearly so everyone can hear me
• Keep up my physicality at all times
• Remember all my props 
• Remember where to stand
• Do what I have rehearsed 
• HAVE FUN

I think that I achieved most of these things other than the third one, I didn't remember one of my props but that wasn't too much of a bother. The atmosphere for the first show was hilarious and bubbly, because the audience was full of people who were more understanding of Shakespeare they laughed when they were supposed to and not just at physicality of characters but at some of the language jokes.

Back stage all of the girls were giggling and preparing ourselves just to bring life to our characters and to the language. I felt that my least favourite scene to do was the shooting scene, it was entertaining and I think by having an audience there was much more feeling in the room. The words were there to play for the audience, the purpose of a comedy is to make people laugh and I think we achieved that as a whole cast in the first performance. There wasn't a dip in the energy in the whole piece which was something I feared but I didn't have to because the energy was up and going and there wasn't a dead moment that I could see.

Classical Theatre - Week 7

So today we finally got a chance to perform in the new theatre, this was a time to get a feeling for the place around us and how much we will have to project our voices in order to be heard. 

The set was also on stage which gave us a chance to expand from being smaller rehearsal room to a bigger performing space. I forgot that the actual space we are performing in in three sides which means we have to project to all three sides and we need to make sure that we do not neglect any of the sides. 

Another thing that we had to do is work with the props that we have and to make sure we know when we are bringing them on and where to put them which isn't that difficult but it was nice to work with the guns in the shooting scene. 

Notes:
Ensure that I articulate all my words and don't speak too quickly.
Project, project, project! 
Work out which words need to be emphasised in order for it to make more sense the audience. 

Historical Context - Week 6

Loves Labours Lost

What is the play about and when was it first performed?

Love's Labour's Lost was first written in 1595 and was first performed in 1597 at the Inns of Queen Elizabeth I Court. Some of the characters in the play are loosely based of historical figures. It is one of Shakespeare's most early comedies, but his is a very odd comedy as it ends in tragedy with the death of the King Of France. 

Contemporary Play Of LLL

Love's Labour's Lost has been done by the Royal Shakespeare Company and has also been performed at the Globe Theatre.

I am going to look at the one that has been done at the Globe Theatre in 2009, below is the trailer for the play that was performed at the Globe. 

The trailer from the Globe Theatre's Love's Labour's Lost shows that they have kept the period clothes. And from the way it looks there is not much of a set other than the pillars and the stretched platforms that go into the audience. By having a minimal set there is a lot relying on the word play. The costumes are amazing, really decade appropriate and fit with the extravagance of the characters.

 The Princess of France in this version is played by Michelle Terry, from watching the trailer I can see she brought a sense of power with her character which is something I defiantly want to do with my character. 

Most women in Shakespeare's plays are either, going to die, witches, pathetic or just plain evil. Women were considered to be the "weaker vessel" and in Love's Labour's Lost the main group of girls are defiantly not dominated by the men, not until the end anyway. Michelle Terry's version of the Princess shows the fire behind her eyes, the sheer passion behind her words are really shown with her physicality and body language. I only wish to have that same fire and passion that she has. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND DEATH DAY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE!

Classical Theatre - Week 6

Dancing

This week we had to continue polishing the dance and to make up a duet or trio dance with the boys we are supposed to be tricking. A lift, a spin and a slide had to be included. As we are supposed be tricking the boys in this scene we made it part of the dance routine. I think I am finally getting to grips with a not so complicated dance just need to work out which way I am spinning! 




End Of The Play
So the end of the play is extremely random and just doesn't make any sense whatsoever....my father dies and then all our plotting and scheming seems to go down the drain and suddenly we all fall in love with the men....yeah...I really don't understand the end. 
As it's a Shakespeare play I know as my character I am allowed to be over the top and slightly melodramatic but how do I do that when I found out my father has died. As my character I don't really know how close I was to my father so I decided to show my closeness to my sister instead. I don't want to make the comedy sad at the end so I decided to make my character use the death as an opportunity to warm up the Kings. 

After working on the end we did a run from page 40 which wasn't completely terrible but I do need to learn my lines! 

Finding My Character

Over the last few rehearsals I have been trying to figure out who The Princess is? Is she nice? Is she mean? Does she flirt with you and then stab you in the back? Is she floaty or does she stomp around? And finally after thinking and trying different things out I worked it out!
She is, smart! Smart enough to so her wit but clever enough not to over use it. She can get what she wasn't from a click of her fingers - there is an air around her which just stops people to just watch her. Her women, Katherine, Rosaline and Maria are her three close friends that clearly have been through some stuff with her and are just as mischivous as the Princess. 
Her voice is high and flowy, she takes her time to say all the words and then other times she cuts you off with her wit. 
Before she sits down, she looks around the room and then decides where to sit or stand. There is true elegance behind this character and there isn't not class with her. 
Me and Tatenda have a rold split which is even better because we can feed off each other, the looks and the glances accross the room. Almost having a telepathic conversation. 

I feel that my character is really genuine, and I want to depict that on stage. 

Historical Context - Week 5 - Part 3

My Own Experience. 

During my time at Secondary School, I performed in the Shakespeare school Festival where I played, Mercutio - Romeo's best friend. And our adaptation was very different to what it would of been in Shakespeare's time. For him they would of performed it in the day time so they would have natural lighting but for us we could do it at any time of day inside with someone doing the lighting for us. 
The script was downsized so it wouldn't be as long as what it would of been. The characters genders were swapped around in our play and there was a man playing Juliet's nurse, which wouldn't be seen as that different to Shakespeare's time but Myself and another girl were playing male roles, if we were doing the play when it was first published no women would be performing so that is a big difference. 
The theatre that we performed in was not the Globe, it was inside and a relatively new design. The seats were different and there was no pit for people to stand in and the tech side of things in the theatre were much different to the tech they would of used back in the day. 

Historical Context - Week 5 - Part 2 - Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

This play is probably one of the most over used story lines ever! The amount of spin off versions done is ridiculous - some are good like the Baz Lurhman version and some are not so good like 'letters to Juliet'. This story has been done time and time again and is truly beautiful. It's even been made into a musical - 'West Side Story' - Kids know about it through 'Gnomeo and Juliet' which I must say I rather enjoyed! And still by the end of the film I am in tears because no matter how hard you try it is a tragedy. 

But let's look at it a little closer....

Juliet is only 13 years old in the play and to some of us we might think it's a bit mental what she does at her age - but times change. 

A lot of films forget to mention this fact about Juliet's age...I wonder why? 

My three favourite adaptations of this play have to be Gnomeo and Juliet, Baz Lurhman's Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story. 

BAZ LUHRMAN uses the same script that Shakespeare wrote and my word don't the actors use it well - to me Shakespeare's writing is hard to understand but I find that when actors know what they are saying and say it perfectly I understand what is happening. Leonardo DiCaprio and Clare Danes did a beautiful job of showing two lovers die through a family feud. 

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

WEST SIDE STORY - one of the best musicals of all time - The story was adapted and set in the 1960's where racism towards emigrants was huge, andadapted the story to suit America in the 1960's. Through song and dance they show the war between two gangs and how it tears apart to people who love each other dearly.

And Finally GNOMEO AND JULIET!

Seriously the amount of inside jokes and detail there is about Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet is brilliant! I sit there watching the film understanding all the little 'in' jokes that you would only know about if you had done some research on Shakespeare...which I like to think I have done. 

The film is set in Stratford with two gardens with different Gnomes fighting. Juliet and Gnomeo (ingenious name) go through the same story as before but because it is a children's film neither one of them die - I mean not even Tibult dies...which is super disappointing.

All these adaptations are incredible and different in their own way - which does show how flexible his writing actually is. Just think, this play was published in 1597 and all these hundreds of years later it is still being used. It is timeless and beautiful. 

Comparing to Shakspeare's versions of the plays

Shakespeare's plays back in the 1600's had minimal effects used on stage and the audience would have to be bedazzled by the sword fighting and the poetic words but nowadays we have animations of it which is really a step up and we have different interpretations of what the story is truly about and I do think that a lot of the meaning can be lost over the years. 

The actors in Shakespeare's time wouldn't of had much time to rehearse and prepare and just would of had to use their pure skill of acting to use. The boys would also be playing the girls roles which really does differ from what we have today where the girls play the girls parts. There is a lot of rehearsal now required today because the actors need to understand what they are saying 

I mean there is still much debate about this line of Romeo and Juliet 

"Romeo, Romeo, Where for art thou Romeo?" - For years I used to think that this meant "Romeo, Romeo, Where are you?" But no. Apparently it means "Romeo, Romeo, Why are you called Romeo?" or something along those lines. 

There is much more time put into rehearsing and the special effects have really advanced since 1597. 

Historical Context - Week 5 - Part 1 - Taming of the Shrew

Analysing Contemporary Shakespeare Productions

There have been several adaptations of Shakespeare plays - Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night. 

Taming of the Shrew

Taming of the Shrew is a classic Shakespeare story where there are two sisters - one pretty, one feisty - one can only marry if the other does. So it is Bianca's mission to find her wretched sister a husband. He turns out to be a massive Arse and abuses Kate into loving him. Turns up to their wedding drunk and dressed as a woman and denies her certain pleasures and eventually she 'falls' in love with him. So both sisters end up happily married - THE END. 


There have been many adaptations of this story - "10 things I hate about you" starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles was made into a hilarious film showing it in a Teenage environment. Some how they made an olden time chick flick into a modern day chick flick - I guess it shows how timeless Shakespeare's stories are. They however did not use Shakespearean language but did reference the play a few times. I have put a link to the whole film that is on youtube - the quality isn't that good but it is an opportunity to watch a slightly funny film with great Actors in it. 

The BBC also did a modern adaptation of it - The woman playing Kate is truly terrifying and chilled me to the core. They really do show the contrast in the sisters. Shirley Henderson and Rufus Sewell are a hilarious duo which made very good abusive characters. 

I do think that film adaptations of Taming of the Shrew really do contrast to what might of been depicted on stage. The films have really dusted off the idea of domestic abuse that might be brought up in the play - and by transforming it into modern language and having american teenagers playing the parts we really do loose the rawness of the message. I think that modern language does loose some of the comedy and insults along the way - For example - 

'Think'st thou though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?'

They are literally referring Kate to Hell! Insulting and derailing this woman who has a hating for anyone who shows her empathy or kindness. The american film '10 things I hate about you' does loose those insults that can't be said in any other way than the Shakespeare way. 

Classical Theatre - Week 5

Warm Up
Rehearsals began with people everyone finding out what animal their character is, I found that the Princess Character was a Gazel. Tall and bouncy but quick. She has a certain elegance to her manor as well. As we merged our character and animal together increasing the percentage of animal in our physicality I really felt the elegance of my character emerge. Once fully being my character I found that it really contrasted with the boys characters. 
All the boys, Berwone, Longeville, Dumaine and The Kings were all, to my understanding, dogs. They are the predators, sniffing around all the women and the weaker characters. However I found that the girls, Katherine, Rosaline and Maria were all quite delicate but strong animals such as my self and Tatenda. 

When transforming back to my character I found that I did keep elements of the animal in my step, I had a little glide.

Rehearsing
In today's rehearsal we rehearsed the dance scene, and yet again I must say I am finding the dance a struggle. But hopefully with practice I will get better. I worked out my objective for this scene which is to be sly and manipulative but to also have and edge of innocence to my name. This is one of my favourite scenes so far as it is just a big micky take on the boys and who can resist annoying a group of cocky arses (talking about the characters). 

Notes From the Director: Learn Lines so we can be off book and have more fluency with the scene. Make sure you understand what words you are emphasising. 

Historical Context - Week 4 - Part 1

Theatres Shakespeare's time 

'Playhouse'

There were many different types of playhouses in London during the Shakespearian era. There were amphitheatres or 'public' playhouses and playhouses that were indoors called  'halls' and sometimes referred to as 'private' playhouses. These types of theatres were both very different as they attracted a different type of audience. 

The First Playhouse! 

Name: Red Lion (used to be Red Lion Inn) 

Built by: John Brayne

Location: Stepny

It is unknown about how successful this playhouse was but it is believed to be a play house that spurred on other playhouses to be built.

What happened next....?

In 1576 there was another theatre build by Brayne and James Burbage, which again was outside the city walls - more about Burbage, he was an actor with the Ear of Leicester's Men and they often performed in the theatre in their first two years of it being built. 

Newington Butts theatre was built in the south in 1576 also and in the following year the Curtain was build neat the Theatre. In the following 5 years more and more companies started to perform in the Inn's Yards - Fun Fact! - Theatres in that time were also used for other forms of entertainment as well as plays.

What made people want to build on the south of the Thames?

Because people thought that crime rates were high and the loudness of the theatres were too disruptive many people decided to build playhouses on sites where city officials couldn't control them - however this did mean building outside the city walls. Now where could they find somewhere really accessible to build the theatres? The South Side of the River Thames! Of course it's outside the city's walls and there were already loud activities that took place there like Animal Baiting Arenas, brothels and Taverns where you could drink your sorrows away. And obviously this was a place for good entertainment and it was where 

Features of outdoor Playhouses

Globe Theatre Labeled

• Raised stage that would go out into the yard
• a roof over the stage (aka 'the heavens') 
• A tiring house behind the stage with a backstage area - this is where the actors would dress and would await their entrance
• A central yard that opened up to the sky
• Above the the tiring house area there was the lord's rooms where there would be large rooms to store different things in and this was roofed. 
• and obviously the galleries surrounding the theatre where the audience would sit 

Who Build the Playhouses?

James Burbage

Some were built by Businessmen, they noticed the rising attraction of the theatre and that companies were touring so decided to create money making spaces around the city.They were the ones in wealth which is very different to the acting companies who usually would be penniless. It was a great opportunity for businessmen to let the companies hire out the land - the fare would usually be half the income that they would make per ticket. 

Historical Context - Week 4 - Part 2

Actors in Shakespearean plays

So who were the actors of Shakespeare's plays?

During the Elizabethan time, only men were permitted to act. So all girls parts were played by boys because women were not allowed to perform in the public theatres until 1660. Personally I think this has really influenced today's media coverage of women - in my opinion there is a misrepresentation of women in the Media because of the long history of men dominating the acting world, maybe that is where it all started?

But also the Panto has picked up on gender reversing roles and I think it is a very 'British' thing to do. Who doesn't want to see a very masculine man prance around in a pretty dress. 

I do think however that plays like 'twelfth night' and 'as you like it' might get a little complicated as there is a lot of role reversing in the play! Often young boys would perform as the female characters during the Shakespearean time, to avoid confusion.

Training as actor?

Some young boys would join a company and would be taught by other actors who would of had more experience. The skills that actors had to had were varied. 

• Sword fighter
• Singer
• Dancer
• Good at remembering

The companies size did vary and the size did depend on where the company was working and how much money the company had - more money = more people. A company of wealth would have 8-12 experienced actors and there would be 3-4 boys who would be hired. Then there was the stage men who would help with costume and props if needed. And then finally the musicians.

Actors would join a company which would be under the Patronage of a monarch, a good example would be the Queen's Men. 

How much did an actor earn?

Because there were shareholders in the company the boys or 'hired men' would earn less than the investors. Shakespeare was a sharer in several different companies throughout his theatre careers; such as Chamberlain's men and the King's men. The amount of money they would earn per show would also depend on the Venue. Obviously in a city like London you would earn more money because of the dense population - Fun Fact! William Kendall was pain 10 shillings a week in London and only 5 Shillings in the country side. 

Working place?

A lot of companies were based in London when they had permanent theatres. When the city was at rage with the Plague a lot of the theatres did shut which meant the companies had to go on tour around the countries. There was an occasion when the companies would go abroad in Germany and the Netherlands. 

What was the average day like?

Most shows were performed in the afternoon in the repertory because of the light in the theatres was very limited. The same play was never performed two days in a row and actors would spend their morning rehearsing and preparing to the afternoon. A lot of actors would be doing different plays at the same time and would have little time to rehearse. There were not lots of copies of the same script for the actors to use so they were given pieces of papers with their lines and cues and the last words of what the previous person said before them - this could make learning worse. 

Did actors specialise?
Most actors would be type cast, but there were a variety of characters for people to play. Some parts would be written for a certain person - Shakespeare wrote the part of Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing for William Kempe because he could capture comedic physicality. The fool in King Lear was also written for Robert Armin who had the skills for good witty language and slaptick comedy. 


Sources I used: http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/files/2014/01/actors.pdf


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Classical Theatre - Week 4

Warm ups
We walked around the room as our characters and were told to push them to a melodramatic level. So all my physical choices would change and enhance more and more. Once we got our physicality to it's best we then had to speak any line from the play and deliver it while doing our melodramatic movements.
I found that a lot of my characters movement relies on her posture and facial expressions. And when I walk I take my time to let others notice my presents. I found that my character has a very slow movements which flow elegantly. Quite short steps but I never move anywhere unless I want to - not to the demand of others.

Shooting Scene
Today we did the shooting scene which has all the girls in, we have guns and we are shooting at deer. This scene shows our banter between us all and I feel that this scene is quite difficult to work out, I am still working out my physicality and voice of my character. She is very difficult to work out as most plays have stage directions which give me a little insight into the character and situation I am in. With Shakespeare there are minimal stage directions and the language is quite complex to get your head round. I have enjoyed working through the language but I do find it a challenge to work out what I am saying and therefor how to say it. I think as weeks will develop I will have more of an understanding of my character once I understand the language a bit better.

Historical Context - Week Three - Part 2

Shakespeare's London

London was a vastly growing city were migrants came from the country side and Europe! There was a huge residency increase of 150,000 in 50 years - that's a lot! It was becoming over crowded and just mental, but the art was growing and it was a brilliant time to be a business man. In 1593 there was the plague which caused theatres to be shut and killed over 10,000 people in London alone. 
London was the richest city in England, wealthy traders, manufactures and workers lived in London and they were the ones who could afford to go to the theatre. In the 1600's 20,00 people were going to the theatre! There were lots of nobel men who would sponsor theatre companies - Royality was located in London and for 10 years Shakespeare's company played at the court of King James I about 15 times a year. 

CITY LAND MARKS! 

St. Pauls Cathedral is the biggest out of the 120 churches in London. The tower is 300 feet tall. It was a place not only for prayer but for business negotiations and a place to socialise. 
There were markets outside selling different types of produce. And there were open air services that could go on for about three hours at a time. 
The Tower of London
The tower was actually used for the royal family to live in - It was a treasury, prison, a weapons room a zoo and the royal mint were the currency was made. 
London Bridge
This was the only bridge in London at that time and joined up the city of London and the north bank of the Thames - where south bank is (right opposite the globe theatre). It was referred to as a continuous street rather than a bridge. 


WHERE DID SHAKESPEARE LIVE AND WORK IN LONDON?

Silver Street Lodgings

St Helens Parish

While Shakepeares' family lived in Stratford Shakespeare lived and worked 100 miles away in London. He lived in London from 1590 to 1613 and lived and worked all over London. He lived in the London Parish of St Helen, the north of London bridge which is close the the theatres and the Curtain Playhouse. He failed to pay for his taxes while living there which confirms his residency. 
He also lived in Paris Gardens Bankside south of the river near the Globe where he worked most of the time in the time of 1598- 1602.
Silver Street was a another place where he lived, he had lodgings there in the Silver Street house of the Mountjoys where a family of French Immigrants who made expensive hats. 

Historical Context - Week Three - Part 1

Shakespeare's Audiences

Audiences - The globe and many other theatres around London had the capacity to hold 300 people for popular and famous plays meaning, 10,000 to 20,000 were going to the theatre in London in a week! 

Who went?

Everyone and anyone - open air theatres were cheap and affordable just one pennie for an admission fee. Servants spent their breaks in theatres watching play after play. The Venetian Ambassador did purchase tickets to watch Pericles by William Shakespeare as well as that, the royals were no strangers to the theatre either. Casts of plays were called to perform for Elizabeth the I and James the I in their private courts. 

Why did people go so often?

Open aired theatres were the cheapest thing, 1 penny would allow you to stand and watch, another penny would give you the lower circle of the theatre and 3 pennies would allow you to have a cushion.The rich could buy the "lord's rooms" for the mere price of 6 pennies. (1 penny is equivalent to a loaf of bread during this time) 

How would people behave?

Behaviour depended on class, some members of the audience went to the theatre to show off their best clothes however may not have had the best manners while in the theatre. There was often talking and discussion with the members of the audience which is not the etiquette we have today. It was rather like a panto, people cheered the goodies and booed the baddies. Lurking around would be pick pocketers. Dancing would privale at the end of each play with the sound of gracious music - Magistrates banned music at the end of shows because of the "Tumults and outrages" with their dances. 

Did the audience affect the success of the plays?

Due the to the amount of people coming to the theatre there were several short runs of plays because they had to keep having new work. 

Fun Fact! In the 80 years between 1560 and 1640 there were 3000 plays written!!!

Many plays did re tell the stories from the past - people loved the battles, music and the humour! Many who didn't like the play would surely let you know....The Swan theatre was damaged in 1602 when several audience members smashed up chairs and stools and ripped the curtains off the wall. There was even hissing in the play "pippin-pelted"! I guess it was because they used women as the female roles (*sarcastic tone* Oh how terrible!) The audience were the ones who gave the support to the theatres and without the support of the audience there would be no shows. ! 

By paying a penny what was it going to be like? I have written a dairy extract to try and capture what it was like to be in the pit of the globe. 

"the globe wast this vast space wh're we couldst enjoyeth a drinketh of ale, has't an apple to consume and gaze a comedy 'r tragedy  t is a lodging i oft wend because i w'rk so much t is nice to seeth something on stage. howev'r the pit doest smelleth a did bite liketh garlic and i doth wisheth to sitteth on a cushion'd seat one day. most people doth findeth us a disgrace but i careth not i am having excit'ment. 

a penny f'r an evening of excit'ment what m're couldst thee wanteth?"

Said By Servant William

In translation 

"the globe was this vast space where we could enjoy a drink of ale, have an apple to eat and watch a comedy er tragedy  it is a place i often go because i work so much. it is nice to see something on stage. however the pit does smell a bit like garlic and i do wish to sit on a cushioned seat one day. most people do find us a disgrace but i care not i am having fun. 

  

a penny for an evening of fun what mere could you want?"

Sources used: http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/files/2014/01/audiences.pdf
http://lingojam.com/EnglishtoShakespearean

Historical Context - Week Two

Mr William Shakespeare - now he is a bit of an odd one - some say he was real some say he was not - it was so long ago I think that all the secure information we know about him has just been lost with Chinese whispers. My opinion, he must of been one extraordinary man in order to write what he did - his brain must of been as nuts as his stories. The plays that he wrote laid down a foundation for secure overused story lines - Romeo and Juliet is one of the most classic examples - the idea of conflict between two groups of people disallowing love between another two people and then having a tragic ending - that has been redone and reused for all sorts of films but each one is unique in it's own perspective. 


Fact File About William Shakespeare...

William Shakespeare - 

• Born in 1564 in Stratford Upon Avon 
• Baptised on the 26th of April 1564 but there is still some uncertainty about when he was actually born. 
• Mother Named Mary and Father named John
• Died on the 23rd of April 

These are the basics that we know about Shakespeare.

EARLY LIFE

Shakespeare was the 3rd oldest in his family of 8 but after his two sisters died he became the eldest in the family. During the time when Shakespeare was a baby there was the plague which killed 1 in 5 people in his town, Stratford. 

School - William Shakespeare went to a grammar school from the age of 7 to 15. The boys were taught to read and write in Latin and also learnt to recite history stories. 

MARRIED and FAMILY LIFE 

William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18 which was quite young for men at that time - but soon after the wedding Shakespeare's first child was born called Susanna. There is still a grey area about what we know about his family but what we do know is that Anne had 2 more children who were twins. They moved house to New Place which was a bigger house in Stratford however Shakespeare rarely lived there, he spent a lot of his time in London. 

LONDON and WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
There is still some uncertainty about when Shakespeare actually came to London and how he got into the theatre world but we do know that in 1592 he was known be to a well known actor  He was also a playwright and in 1592 his play Henry VI was put on in the Rose Theatre (in Kingston). In his later time in London he wrote and helped write about 40 plays as well as that he published 154 sonnets. As well as writing a whole book of sonnets Shakespeare also wrote a very long poem called Venus and Adonis  (1593).
In 1599 he was a co-owner of the Globe Theatre, which helped him earn money for Acting, writing and running the globe and theatre company Lord Chamberlain's men. 

HIS DEATH.... 
His last play that he wrote was The Two Nobel Kinsmen.
After the time he had spent in London he decided to return to Stratford where he would settle down after the busy life he had lead. On April the 23rd 1616 he died, making a will before in January. 
Fun Fact: Some believe that Shakespeare died on his Birthday - considering he was baptised on the 26th of April he could of been born 3 days before. 

Sources I used: http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/files/2014/06/william_shakespeare.pdf
http://www.folger.edu/shakespeares-life#london

Classical Theatre - Love's Labours Lost - The Princess Of France

The Princess
My physicality
My role is to play games with the men to trick and deceive them. Already I love this character she is just wonderful. I do feel a good connection with her and I want to do her justice  I am sharing the role with the wonderful Tatenda, I have never worked with her before but I reckon we are going to be fab Princesses. 

Today we did the opening of the play and as a warm up Sarah got us to do some work on the Physicality of our Character. 

I am going to make a clear choice to use my hands when speaking and to really emphasise on words I am saying by using my hands when talking to people. I am also choosing to change my posture a little so make it more upright. 

I do however change my character's physicality when I am around certain characters. When I am around the girls, Maria, Katherine and Rosaline I chose to make my body more relaxed by leaning on my arm a little when I am sitting down or I will lean on Tatenda. BUT when I am around the boys there will be a more rigidity in my body to show the men that I don't budge easily. I want to show weakness in front of the men. 

Historical Context - Week One

What sense do you get of what life was like in the Elizabethan England?

Have a little listen to the music of the time while reading about what it was like to be in the Elizabethan Era. 

Population

We start our journey in the heart of England - During the 16th Century (1500s) there was a vast increase in population. London became the biggest city in Europe with 130,000 to 150,000 people living in the city. There were huge contrasts to the city as some parts were wonderful and wealthy and some where abominable and poor. With narrow streets and poor hygiene the city was full of germs. 

This was a time of the start of exploration of the world and art being perfected. There was a lot of fame that surrounded some people due to politics, royalty, explorers, inventors and art. Underneath are some people who were 'famous'

- Sir Francis Drake

- Walter Reily 

- William Shakespeare

- And Mary Queen Of Scots

Inventions made in England
In 1550 John Dee wrote a book that changed maths to do with Elements of Geomatory which made a significant change to Mathematics as we know it. Bottled beer was invented in 1568 and the first working flushing toilet was also created in 1591 by Sir John Harrington. 

Life for Women

Women were considered to be the "weaker vessel" and more subservient than men. Besides the fact they had a Queen as one of their main leaders, women were still low down on the status chart. They would rely solely on the money that their husband or other male relation would provide. There 'job' was to create a family, keep good home and be as holy as they could be by keeping to their marriage vows. 
But there were also some kick-ass women of that time - the Virgin Queen was a red headed maniac who ruled with harsh judgement and stern policies. She faced such hardships in order to become Queen -  in a sentence - dad died brother took over reined for 6 years died another queen reined for 9 days then died then another queen reined for 5 years and then died and then FINALLY Elizabeth the I became Queen. She had many friends and foes and during her time there was the defeat of the Spanish Armada, Francis Drakes 'discovery' of America and William Shakespeare's incredible work. 

Village life

Village life differed each season - The harvest was a time when villages were running around picking plants and selling produce. People would work in the family and the family trade would be passed down generation to generation - so what ever skill your father did wether he was a farmer or a Blacksmith you would do that profession and carry it on through the family name.

Medicine in Elizabethan England

Imagine thousands of people in one city with houses looming over you - you look up and can hardly see the sky when in the streets of London. The floor is covered in urine and faeces and the pumps of water give out Typhoid like it's going out of fashion. Germs were unknown to people and they believed it was your sins that caused illness. Diagnosis via your star signs and the colour and taste of your urine was still used and there was no real medical advancements - lots of different things were discovered in the Renaissance period about the anatomy of the human body however this didn't save lives or change treatments. Medicine did not yet have refinement. During the Elizabethan time there was the Bubonic Plague which killed millions around the world. Everything was filthy and you'd be lucky to have a bath once a year!

Religion 
England was considered to be a place where Christianity was a highly worshipped religion - church was still mandatory and religion gathered communities together. After the rein of Henry the VIII there was a divide in the church system - Catholics and Protestant which would later on spur on rivalries. Within religion it was closely linked to the Monarchy - The monarchy during Shakespeare's time was Elizabeth the first

Theatre In Elizabethan London

Theatre was becoming a huge part of culture - men realised it was a money booming business where people would come and watch masterpieces of work. Throughout the whole period theatres would pop up such as the globe theatre, the Rose theatre in Kingston and the Swan theatre. All these places would put on work which were primarily performed by men. However during the time when disease was easily spread many theatres were shut down for periods of times - everyone was ill and dying and could not attend the theatre - there was no one to act and no one to watch. 

Sources I used: 
http://www.tenfactsabout.co.uk/0033elizabethi.htm