“I do love nothing in the world so well as you; is not that strange?”

“As strange as the thing I know not. It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing in the world so well as you; but believe me not, and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing. I am sorry for my cousin.”

WORKSHOP 1 – 11th August

First readthrough and discussions.

Topics explored included:

 
Parallels to R&J
Beatrice
Why so many small touches mentioned in passing?
Age?
Where are the other halves?
Verbal fireworks
Hero
What the friar?!
Why Messina?
How many pairs are there and why?

WORKSHOP 2 – 25th August

Masterclass: Prose – Giles Taylor

A symposium on the challenges of prose compared to verse followed by practical exploration of the structures available to Shakespeare and how he uses them to give insight to character. Terms explored: Tricolons and anidiplosis, badinage and repartee, epistrophe and hyperbole and of course “the Beethoven”.

Giles Taylor has worked as a verse and language coach and consultant on productions directed by Natalie Abrahami, Ian Brown, Roxana Silbert and Tim Sheader. He has studied verse speaking with John Barton, Cicely Berry, Peter Gill, Giles Block and Andrew Wade. Also an actor, Giles has appeared in numerous productions of Shakespeare’s plays at the RSC and elsewehere, under the direction of Gregory Doran, Edward Hall and Rachel Kavanaugh amongst others.

“What your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light.”