Shakespeare 400! During the month of April join The Malachites as we celebrate Shakespeare’s Life & Works 400 years after his death.

To mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, Shakespeare Workshops Alberta is delighted to offer a host of exciting events and performances, including a new 4 Day Classical Acting Course the evenings of April 19th to 22nd aimed at unravelling the Bard’s greatest play – Hamlet.

Explore iconic scenes; unpick complex language and master unparalleled soliloquies with the internationally-acclaimed creatives behind Malachite Theatre.

The Malachites’ production of Hamlet, touring the UK & China in June/July 2016, is directed by Malachite Artistic Director Benjamin Blyth. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to work with one of the UK’s most brilliant young Shakespeare directors as Blyth shares his unique insights on Shakespeare’s most lauded play.

For our full calendar of Shakespeare 400 Events and to learn more about our facilitators, workshops and company history, visit www.themalachites.co.uk.

Based upon contemporary Elizabethan performance methodologies, our intensive short courses will set you on a new path with classical text, speaking Shakespeare with confidence and helping you stand out in this competitive industry. Our sessions are open to actors of all ages and skill levels wishing to improve or refresh their approach to Shakespeare.

All sessions will be 4 hours long from 6pm til 10pm. 20% OFF for CAEA Members!

INTRO SESSIONS: DAYS 1&2 – $100

• DAY 1 – April 19 – Intro to Elizabethan Performance Techniques: A crash course in contemporary and contextual approaches to Shakespeare especially focused on the challenges that classical texts present Canadian actors. Improve your verse reading, refresh your approaches to text and hone your audition technique in this introductory workshop.
• DAY 2 – April 20 – The Musicality of Shakespeare’s Text: Develop your skills for easy, natural verse delivery using musical methods and tools to find freedom and connection through verse, and discover how to work with your natural accent. In addition to using musical tools to break down dialogue, we will explore how music inspired Shakespeare, how he uses it both as a playwright and in performance on the Elizabethan stage, and how we use these same methods today.

FOCUS SESSIONS: DAYS 3&4 – $100

• DAY 3 – April 21 – Hamlet: Bringing Life to Shakespeare’s Text: Apply the skills developed in Days 1 & 2 to performance practice, with a focussed exploration of Shakespeare’s greatest play in rehearsal and performance. In Day 3 participants will share and explore short duologues and set speeches, building familiarity with character and context in a relaxed and supportive environment.
• DAY 4 – April 22 – Hamlet: From Rehearsal to Performance: Work on entire scenes from Shakespeare’s greatest play – the Nunnery, the Closet, the Gravedigger, the Ghost; Hamlet is riddled with some of the Bard’s most moving and accessible writing. This session provides the opportunity to work in a rehearsal environment based upon Elizabethan performance methodologies, with the option to showcase the rehearsed performance at Edmonton’s ‘Shakespeare 400’ celebrations.

NOTE: If you have attended our Intro sessions in previous workshops, you are welcome to submit to attend the Focus sessions only.

Please contact daniellelarose@live.ca for more information and to register. Registration deadline is Friday, April 15 and spaces are very limited, so get in touch as soon as possible to secure your space on the course.

Keep up to date with all Malachite events and performances at www.themalachites.co.uk, including our full calendar of Shakespeare 400 Events!

Photo by Patrick Dodds: The Malachites reconnecting Shakespeare & Shoreditch.