An early start to the day took the students via coach to Stratford-Upon-Avon to visit the Birth Place of Shakespeare and the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was refreshing to pass through the lush green hills of ‘country’ England and visit a small town with quaint streets and historical buildings all festively decorated. However, on arrival, it was apparent the small town had come to life this weekend for the annual ‘Victorian’ market. The streets were lined with market stalls of food, homemade treasures and entertainers. There was a special community culture feeling bubbling in the streets, we were lucky to experience it.
After a look through the markets, a tour through Shakespeare’s birth place and first home. It was lovely to see how much history had been preserved. It was clear the towns people were proud of their Shakespearean fame and loved sharing it with us.
The students were in for a real treat with an insightful workshop with a director from the Royal Shakespeare Company. The students were led through an enlightening workshop on King John, the performance they were to see that evening. The highly knowledge director engaged the students in beneficial acting exercises that allowed the students to practically appreciate the language of Shakespeare. Following the workshop, a tour of the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre. It was interesting to see how stage effects such as blood bags and capsules, fly in sets, backstage red light/green light cuing and quick costume change areas all come together.
We shared a delicious 2-course dinner together at the Moon restaurant nestled in the side of one of the historical buildings of Stratford-Upon-Avon before heading to the theatre to see King John.
King John was staged in the Swan Theatre, the original thrust stage. They used traditional Shakespearean language, however they modernised the costuming and set design to suit a contemporary audience. As King John is a political play of war and madness, it was accustom that there be bloody battle. To symbolise, one of the battles was in a ‘boxing ring’ with France against England with ‘blood’ sprayed across the stage and into the audience. The next battle, a huge food fight that filled the stage and left the French King with a donut in his crown! Transitions and scene changes were visible to the audience, with backstage crew entering to shift set and props onstage. The entries and exits varies from side stage, to audience entries, often involving a stylised dance inspired by a blend of 1960s movement and Fosse Jazz. Overall, it was a classic play, redeveloped to suit a demanding contemporary audience in an exciting theatre space.
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