Little Angel Theatre Presents Education and Participation Resource Pack Written by Sarah Schofield Little Angel Theatre 14 Dagmar Passage, Islington, London, N1 2DN 0207 226 1787 www.littleangeltheatre.com Little Angel Theatre Introduction to the Pack and Other Useful Resources This pack is designed to support your visit to the ‘No Fear Shakespeare’ books give you the show and includes information and resources about complete text of Macbeth on the left-hand the process of creating this production of Macbeth, page, side-by-side with an easy-to-understand the decisions that were made in the research and translation on the right. The ‘No Fear’ series development stages, the designing and puppet also includes graphic novels. making stages and the rehearsal rooms. The pack includes suggestions for activities related to the production that are geared towards Key Stage Three but could be adapted for older or younger pupils. Our production is an edited version of the full length play using Shakespeare’s words and this pack contains extracts from the script. Within it we have created a resource of activities which act as ways in to the language, play and themes for you and your students. We believe the best way for young people to explore Shakespeare’s texts is physically. This pack is designed to help you explore the plot, characters and themes in our version of Macbeth in your own school. The suggested activities can be done in your classroom (or hall or studio space) either before you come to see the show, afterwards, or a combination of both. Manga Shakespeare: Macbeth £7.99 available from the RSC website Illustrated by leading UK manga artists, this series feeds into the growing popularity of manga worldwide, and presents Shakespeare's classic works in a highly visual and dynamic form. This is the perfect platform for a new generation to fall in love with Shakespeare's genius. Other resources you might find useful when practically teaching Shakespeare with students can be found on the RSC website. www.rsc.org.uk/education Little Angel Theatre 1 John Wright Theatre founder Little Angel Theatre Background Information The Little Angel Theatre Little Angel Theatre Over the next 30 years, the Little Angel team Dedicated to Puppetry created and performed over 30 full-scale shows, with John and his wife Lyndie John Wright, the founder of Little Angel Theatre was designing, making, performing and directing born in South Africa in 1906. He travelled to England in as they established Little Angel as ‘The Home 1935 and worked as an assistant stage manager for the of British Puppetry.’ Little Angel shows were Ballet Rambert while studying at the Central School of taken to 23 International Festivals, Art and Design. It was during this time he saw a puppet representing Britain. John Wright died in 1991 performance by Podrecca’s Piccoli and became but the work of the theatre continued apace hooked. John made his very first puppet in 1938. with the aim of introducing puppetry to all ages. Macbeth is part of our biennial He returned to South Africa at the outbreak of the Suspense Festival celebrating puppetry for Second World War and continued to make and perform adults. www.suspensefestival.com with puppets in his home country. When the war ended he returned to England, overland, performing with his Little Angel Theatre and Shakespeare puppets along the way. Macbeth is our fourth production of a In 1961 John and his troupe found a derelict Shakespeare piece. The most recent were temperance hall in Islington and transformed it into a both collaborations with the RSC which began magical little theatre, specially designed for the with Venus and Adonis and then followed up presentation of marionette shows. It opened on with The Tempest. Both were staged in Saturday 24th November 1961 as ‘The Little Angel Stratford at the RSC and at Little Angel Marionette Theatre’. This was to be the first purpose Theatre with puppets designed and made by built puppet theatre the country had seen for many Little Angel Theatre founder member Lyndie years and the only one with a permanent long string Wright, who also designed the puppets for marionette bridge constructed backstage. The bridge Macbeth. was designed for puppeteers to stand on while they manipulate long stringed puppets who perform on the stage below leaving the audience unable to see the puppeteers. The original bridge is used to this day. The theatre has a traditional ‘proscenium arch’ and seats 100 audience members. Caliban puppet from our 2011 production of The Tempest in collaboration with The Royal Venus and Adonis puppets by Lyndie Shakespeare Wright from the 2004 RSC and Little Company Angel collaboration Little Angel Theatre 2 Little Angel Theatre The Story of Macbeth Synopsis Themes The play opens as three witches plan a meeting with Ambition Perhaps the most obvious theme in Macbeth is the Scottish nobleman Macbeth, who at that moment is fighting in a great battle. When the battle is over, ambition and we see this with both Macbeth and Macbeth and his friend Banquo come across the Lady Macbeth. They are tempted by the idea that witches who offer them three predictions: that Macbeth Macbeth will become king - Macbeth is not sure will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, what to do but his wife is ruthless in getting what and that Banquo's descendants will become kings. she wants - she views her husband as a coward and appears ready to do anything. Banquo laughs at the prophecies but Macbeth is excited, especially as soon after their meeting with the The Supernatural witches Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor by King The idea that there are mysterious forces Duncan, in return for his bravery in the battle. He writes controlling what is happening. The very first to his wife, Lady Macbeth, who is as excited as he is. A characters we meet are the three witches, and messenger tells Lady Macbeth that King Duncan is on their prophecies are what drives the story forward. his way to their castle and she invokes evil spirits to In Shakespeare's time belief in witchcraft was very strong and many so-called witches were burnt at help her slay him. Macbeth is talked into killing Duncan by his wife and stabs him to death. No one is quite sure the stake. Audiences would have taken these ideas seriously and felt that Macbeth was who committed this murder and no one feels safe, but Macbeth is crowned king. somehow possessed. Now that Macbeth is king he knows the second Reality and Appearance prediction from the witches has come true, but he starts The contrast between what is real and the appearance of something is also used by to fear the third prediction (that Banquo's descendants will also be kings). Macbeth therefore decides to kill Shakespeare. The classic dagger scene, when Macbeth is not sure if he can trust his eyes, is only Banquo and his son, but the plan goes wrong - Banquo is killed but his son escapes. Macbeth then thinks he is one of many references to this theme. For going mad because he sees Banquo's ghost and instance, he sees Banquo's ghost at the banquet receives more predictions from the witches. He starts to and Lady Macbeth imagines blood on her hands. become ruthless and kills the family of Macduff, an important lord. Macbeth still thinks he is safe but one by Loyalty and Guilt one the witches' prophecies come true. Lady Macbeth Loyalty and guilt are also strong themes in Macbeth. Duncan clearly values loyalty - he has cannot stop thinking about Duncan, becomes deranged and dies. A large army marches on Macbeth's castle the first Thane of Cawdor executed and rewards Macbeth by making him the new Thane. and Macbeth is killed by Macduff. Shakespeare cleverly uses loyalty as a dramatic The Witches device as well - Duncan is in the middle of talking introduce the play about 'absolute trust' when Macbeth walks in - we and control the know he's already thought about killing Duncan, mysterious forces of but for the moment he talks about 'the loyalty I the world. They owe' and his 'duties' to Duncan. Macbeth also predict the future and shows his guilt - he is unsure before the murder seem to put Macbeth and regrets it immediately after. Lady Macbeth is under their spell. the opposite - she seems to show no guilt at the time and even talks about how 'a little water' cleans away the blood. Little Angel Theatre 3 Little Angel Theatre Macbeth with Puppets – Director’s Interview The first decision faced by Peter Glanville, the script They explored the many different types of editor and director, when we decided to put on a puppets that could be used for the characters and production of a Shakespeare play was which play and considered how the puppets would hold the why? This was followed by how to justify turning it into Shakespearian language. We also needed to a production with puppets and which characters would consider how the puppets would retain energy in be represented with puppets? scenes with long sections of dialogue. Having explored this issue it became apparent that focusing on delivering dialogue with puppets The decision was made that all the characters in doesn’t really work. So the team began working Macbeth (the chosen play) would be represented by with the idea of recording the text and playing it puppets, and that instead of making puppets of people as an external voice, a device that frees up the the characters would be represented by a variety of puppets and allows for a more visual narrative.