RADA SHAKESPEARE CERTIFICATE

STUDENT WORKSHOP
Date: Saturday 27 October 2007
Location: RADA

Closing date for applications - Monday 15 October 2007 Booking form

The Workshops - General overview
The Workshops are to help to make Shakespeare the most exciting language to act in and to speak it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The techniques offered here for warm-up and workshop are for consideration only and of course in time teachers and students will develop their own strategies in handling verse speaking. We would hope, however, that some of the ideas discussed might provide a firm platform from which they could spring into the classical theatre if they so wish.

The most important point to remember is that everything we need to know about how to act Shakespeare is in the text. We tend too often to explore all around the texts, academic themes or concepts but not see the very acting clues that Shakespeare was providing for his fellow actors within the texts. We must never forget that Shakespeare was an actor who wrote for actors. He knew what an actor was capable of and therefore wrote accordingly. Our job today is to try and recreate those circumstances for the modern actor through a thorough examination of the texts.

Student Feedback

"Visiting RADA helped me to understand they are trying to help actors and the stereotypes usually associated with RADA were completely broken down. Having never studied sonnets I can now go forward with confidence" Sakhninder (34), April 2007

"It was a really great experience to explore Shakespeare in a physical and not just an academic way" Rebecca (15), April 2007

"Wonderful workshop and an excellent experience" anon, April 2007

"Made the words make sense" Emily (15), April 2007

STUDENT WORKSHOP

Objective
This lively one day Workshop is designed to introduce the RADA Shakespeare Certificate and to provide an opportunity for students to have fun with the elements of the Certificate - sonnet, monologue, scenes and sight reading. We hope to make you feel more confident and prepared for the Certificate examination

Workshop Content
(Please note that RADA reserve the right to vary the content depending upon the students' own wish/need to spend more time on one particular aspect of the exam content)

Welcome tea/coffee
Warmup exercises to get the blood pumping and the voice active and ready. Includes basic exercises that you can do at home.

An introduction to the syllabus
Answering any questions you may have including how to identify monologues to use for the exams, what you can use in the exams in terms of props and so on

Sonnets workshop - form and language.
Methods of connecting and understanding the message/theme held in a sonnet. How to communicate the message of a sonnet, how to deliver a sonnet well and general tips on which sonnets to look at and

Connecting to Shakespeare's words and meaning - monologues/duologues/scenes
Using key speeches to provide useful strategies in helping students become more aware of the clues to character hidden in the text, and ways to apply them. We will also explore the iambic pentameter and how it reveals the character and we will see how the vocabulary a character uses gives us invaluable acting clues.

How to communicate
Looking at how correct breathing helps connect us to the text and ways to develop understanding of how to use voice and breath appropriately. Some ways to communicate your character without literal props and costume.

*There may be some individual and group work. This is a great way to meet and learn from other students so do come prepared for both and ready to work with people you do not know.*

A certificate will be posted to all of those who attend the full day workshop

Booking
The booking form is available here. Please fill out the relevant sections and send the booking form to RADA as soon as possible

There are different payment options. Please make sure you tick the appropriate box and include a cheque for the right amount (made payable to RADA).

1. You can attend the workshop only - £80
2. You can pay for the workshop and Bronze Certificate at a reduced rate - £110
3. You can pay for the workshop and the Silver Certificate at a reduced rate (only if you have already passed the Bronze Certificate) - £120

*Please note that exams do not occur on the same day as the workshop.

All candidates must start at Bronze level - this applies to all types of the exam whether you are taking Individual/Duologue/Group. Thus if, for example, you have taken Bronze Group and want to start Individual exams you must start at Bronze Individual.

If taking up the offer of a reduced exam fee please note that you must take the exam within the next three exam dates :- 3 November 2007, 1 December 2007, 2 February 2008

*If you wish to take the exams at a Private/Public Centre closer to you please note that the above time frame still applies and the exam must be taken no later than 2 February 2008. Please let the Certificates Administrator know at which advertised Centre you would like to take the exam. All Centres and dates can be found on the website under 'Examination Dates and Fees'.

*If two students wish to attend the workshop together expressly with a view to book a Bronze Duologue exam before 2 February 2008 please contact the Certificates Administrator for further information.

RADA Certificates, 62/64 Gower Street, London WC1E 6ED
Tel: +44 (0)20 7636 7076 Fax: +44 (0)20 7323 3865
email: certificates@rada.ac.uk