Introduction to Shakespeare (2 Weeks)

About the course

Introduction to Shakespeare is the place to be if you love performing, you’re curious about Shakespeare and you’re serious about learning. We’ll start from the very beginning – exploring exercises which will help you to understand Shakespeare’s language, connect imaginatively to his writing, and develop the freedom and confidence to playfully embody his characters.  

This course will be led by one of LAMDA’s expert tutors. As well as introducing you to the rules of the rehearsal room and the secrets of working with Shakespeare’s text, they’ll encourage you to play together as an ensemble.

Whether you’re thinking about auditioning for drama school, or you simply want to spend some time exploring Shakespeare over the summer, this course will give you an excellent grounding in the fundamentals of Shakespeare, and get you feeling confident in selecting, preparing and performing audition material. 

At LAMDA, we believe that classical actor training should be accessible, modern and relevant. You’ll receive a fresh, contemporary perspective on Shakespeare, and we hope you’ll finish the week feeling as excited as us about this 450-year-old genius.

What will I learn?

• Learn how to decode and understand Shakespeare’s text – every single word of it! 
• Explore acting, voice and movement techniques to connect you to your character. 
• Discover what makes a good audition speech, and tools for a confident audition. 
• Understand how to prepare a classical audition monologue and establish a reliable and reusable solo process. 
• Collaborate with peers in a supportive and nurturing environment – helping each other to find the truth of Shakespeare’s text through playful exploration. 
• Receive expert guidance and feedback from a LAMDA-trained tutor.

Is this course for me?

This course is designed for 16–18-year-old who have a serious love of theatre and an interest in Shakespeare. You may have done some performing or training before and want to learn more about performing Shakespeare, or you may have no performance experience – either way, you’ll find the course fun and challenging. All we need from you is a desire to learn, explore and collaborate. 

We think that this course is especially suited to students who are considering applying for drama school.