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Canberra Today 15°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

‘Brush up Your Shakespeare’ in class

LOCAL theatre writer and drama teacher, Peter Wilkins, is mindful of the fact that in late April we were celebrating Shakespeare’s 450th birthday.

Shakespeare

With this in mind, he has announced that his next “Acting for the Fun of It” series of workshops will be called “Brush up Your Shakespeare.”

Fans of the musical “Kiss me Kate” will be familiar with that expression, but the course has nothing to do with musical theatre, rather offering both beginners and experienced performers the opportunity to explore acting techniques and approaches applicable to the analysis and performance of Shakespearian plays.

Wilkins has taken as his starting point from Hamlet’s “Advice to the Players” and introduces workshops on text, elements of Shakespeare’s theatre and practical exploration of Shakespearian monologues and scenes.

Among his inspirations are the theories and teachings of Cicely Berry, former Head of Voice at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and John Barton, a director of Shakespearian plays at both the National Theatre of Great Britain and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Wilkins says the course is also suitable for senior students of drama who may be auditioning for entry to tertiary drama schools. He notes that it is quite common for to present a Shakespearian monologue in their auditions, adding that Shakespeare is “the actor’s playwright”.

“Brush up Your Shakespeare”, a  six week course in playing Shakespeare, 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, May 25 to July 6, cost $150 or concessions $100. For all information

peterbwilkins@aol.com or 0408 034 373

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Helen Musa

Helen Musa

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