Summer School 2019 July 6 — 19 Florence Tutors: Lucy Bailey (Julius Ceasar) Philip Franks (The Two Gentleman of Verona) Christopher Luscombe (Romeo and Juliet) Introduction The Shakespeare In Italy Summer School has grown in reputation, since the programme was first established in 2014. This year's course will be in Florence at the British Institute, where we have been specially invited to run our school. For more information on the Institute go to www.britishinstitute.eu Florence, known as the 'Flower of Italy', home of Giotto and Ghiberti, Masaccio and Michelangelo, Dante and Donatello, was the cradle of the Renaissance. Our programme is open to anyone over the age of 18 and who is fluent in English. It gives participants a unique insight into the plays, dramatic styles and techniques employed, and the rare opportunity to bring the works alive with top class actors and directors. The focus of the workshops is practical rather than theoretical. Our tutors expertise is in putting Shakespeare's texts on their feet. Any participant who is reluctant to get up and take part is welcome to be a spectator. Our tutors this year are Lucy Bailey, Philip Franks and Christopher Luscombe. Their biographies and details of the course follows. Tutors tour); The Graduate (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Comus, A Lucy Bailey studied English at Masque In Honour Of Chastity Oxford University where she (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, directed the world premiere of Globe), Kenny Morgan (Arcola, Lessness by Samuel Beckett in London). consultation with the author. Other theatre credits include: She trained as an assistant Titus Andronicus, Macbeth, director for the Royal Timon of Athens, As You Like It, Shakespeare Company, National The Maid’s Tragedy Theatre and Glyndebourne (Shakespeare’s Globe); The Opera Company. Lucy Winter’s Tale, Taming of the co-founded The Print Room a Shrew, Julius Caesar (Royal new venue in Notting Hill Gate Shakespeare Company, and was artistic director from Stratford/Roundhouse, London/ 2010 - 2012 . Shows she directed The Armoury, New York); Great Philip Franks include: Fabrication, Snake in the Expectations, The Postman Grass, Kingdom of Earth and Always Rings Twice, Dial M for Philip’s stage roles have included Uncle Vanya with Iain Glen in the Murder (West Yorkshire Mr Myers, Witness for the title role. She was also co- Playhouse/West End/UK tour); Prosecution, Witness London Ltd; founder and co-artistic director Around the World in 80 Days (St Swanson, Flarepath, Flare Path of the gogmagogs (1995 – 2007) James Theatre, London); Gaslight Productions Ltd; Hector, The a music theatre company (Royal & Derngate History Boys, Bath Theatre Royal/ comprising seven string players. Northampton); The Importance Tour; Dr. Watson, The Secret of Recent productions include: of Being Ernest (Harold Pinter, Sherlock Holmes/The Hound of Switzerland (Ustinov Theatre, West End/UK tour); Fortunes the Baskervilles, UK Tour; Our Bath, currently playing in the Fool (London’s Old Vic); King Lear Man in Havana, Nottingham Ambassador’s Theatre, London’s (Theatre Royal Bath); The Playhouse & Tour; Mr Winslow, West End); Witness for the Beggar’s Opera (Regent’s Park The Winslow Boy, Salisbury Play- Prosecution (currently playing in Open Air Theatre); Private Lives, house; Sir Peter Teazle, School London’s County Hall); Cave a Glass Eels, Comfort Me with Ap- For Scandal, Salisbury Playhouse; site specific opera by Tansy ples (Hampstead); adapted and Osborne, Journey's End, Comedy Davies and Nick Drake (London directed Tennessee Williams’ Ba- Theatre; Alan Turing, Breaking Sinfonietta, Print Works London), by Doll (National Theatre); Don’t The Code, Northampton; Lloyd, Love From A Stranger (Royal & Look Now (Crucible, Sheffield/ Noises Off, RNT Tour; Yvan, Art, Derngate Northampton and UK Lyric Hammersmith). West End And Tour. Crucible Theatre, Sheffield/Royal (Hampstead); When We Are National Theatre; Kiss of the Married (Garrick - Olivier Award Spiderwoman, Nottingham nomination for Best Revival); Playhouse; Private Lives, Royal Travels With My Aunt (Menier National Theatre; Kafka's Dick, Chocolate Factory) and Spamalot Nottingham Playhouse; Early (Playhouse). Morning, National Theatre Further credits include Studio; The Cocktail Party, Royal Masterpieces (Birmingham Rep); Lyceum Theatre - Edinburgh Little Shop of Horrors and The Festival; Rebecca, Royal Lyceum History Boys (West Yorkshire Theatre; Hamlet, Greenwich Playhouse); Things We Do for Theatre/West Yorkshire Love (Harrogate); Candida Playhouse/Tour; Night Must Fall, (Oxford Stage Company); The Theatre Royal, Windsor/ Likes of Us (Sydmonton); Arms Churchill, Bromley; Paint Said and the Man (Salisbury); A Small Further roles included Jacques Fred, Royal Academy of Art; Family Business (Watford); Hob- Roux, Marat/Sade, Royal Macbeth, Crucible Theatre; The son’s Choice (Sheffield); Hay Fe- National Theatre; Algernon, The Duchess of Malfi, Greenwich ver (Minneapolis); Henry V Importance Of Being Earnest, Old Theatre/Wyndham's; (Chicago); While The Sun Shines Vic Theatre; Hamlet, Hamlet, Great Expectations, Playhouse (Bath); Candide (Grange Festival) RSC, Roger Michell; Bertram, All's Theatre, Salisbury; The Browning and tours of The Importance of Well That Ends Well, RSC. Version, Greenwich Theatre. Being Earnest, Tell Me on a TV roles have included Sgt Sunday, The Lady in the Van, Craddock for 4 series of Christopher Luscombe Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, Single Heartbeat and Charley in 3 series Christopher spent seven years as Spies, Dandy Dick, Blue/Orange of The Darling Buds of May. an actor with the RSC, going on and The Nightingales. He has to appear at the National staged several private Philip was Associate Director at Theatre, the Old Vic and in the entertainments for the Royal Chichester Festival Theatre from West End. His productions at Family, often marking particular 2007 to 2012. Plays included A Stratford as director included anniversaries. Marvellous Year for Plums, Twelfth Night, Love’s Labour’s Rattigan's Nijinsky, The Deep Lost and Much Ado About In 2019 he will be directing The Blue Sea, The Master Builder, Nothing. He is an Associate Artist Winter’s Tale in Cincinnati and Separate Tables, Collaboration/ of the RSC. Verdi’s Falstaff at the Grange Taking Sides, The Cherry Orchard, His other directing credits in Festival. Nicholas Nickleby (with Jonathan London include Star Quality and Church) including National Tour/ The Madness of George III West End/Toronto; Twelfth (Apollo); Home and Beauty Night. (Lyric); Fascinating Aïda – One Other plays directed Last Flutter (Harold Pinter - included The Winter's Tale, Royal Olivier Award nomination for Academy of Dramatic Art; Sixty Best Entertainment); The Six Books, Bush Theatre; The Comedy of Errors and The Merry Comedy of Errors, Open Air Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare’s Theatre, Regent's Park; The Globe); Nell Gwynn Duchess of Malfi, West Yorkshire (Shakespeare’s Globe and Apollo Playhouse; The Tempest, – Olivier Award for Best New Liverpool Playhouse; The White Comedy); A Midsummer Night’s Devil, Lyric Theatre, Dream (Regent’s Park); Enjoy Hammersmith; The Heiress, (Gielgud); Alphabetical Order made in areas of genuine conflict. The Two Gentlemen of Verona is In 1994 it was set in Bosnia with a one of Shakespeare’s very first Christian Romeo and a Muslim plays, possibly written as early as Juliet. Romeo and Juliet has been 1590. The plot revolves around filmed some 60 times, notably by the topsy-turvy relationships of Baz Luhrmann with Claire Danes two pairs of young lovers, Proteus and Leonardo di Caprio as the and Valentine, Julia and Silvia. It young lovers. contains many of the themes that are picked up again and in his Julius Caesar was written and first later plays. Julia finds it expedient performed in 1599, halfway to disguise herself as a boy. The through Shakespeare's working lovers venture into the forest, life. The action takes place in where their relationships become classical Rome in 44 BC when the entangled but finally return to empire was at its mightiest, and normal, as in A Midsummer Romeo and Juliet is begins with Caesar at the height Night’s Dream. The lampooning Shakespeare's early tragedy of of his greatness. It portrays his of romantic love, and with it the "star-cross'd lovers", whose assassination by a group emasculation of lovers, is a theme youthful deaths ultimately conspirators led by Brutus and that recurs repeatedly. Much of reconcile their feuding families. Cassius. They fear that his the richest comedy is provided by Since its first performance in the ambition will lead to him being “low-life” characters, the servants mid-1590s it has remained one of crowned Emperor and thus see Speed and especially Launce, his most popular plays. The him as a threat to the Roman whose slavish devotion to his dog lovers are united by their passion republic. The political turmoil Crab is a wonderful satire on that yet doomed to separation, and from Caesar’s assassination ends of the young protagonists. The the fact that they have so little with the defeat of conspirators at sunshine becomes obscured by time together lends intensity to the hands of Mark Antony and dark clouds, most particularly in a their relationship. The play bril- Caesar’s great nephew Octavius. startling scene of attempted rape. liantly evokes the ardour of Two Gents is at heart an ebullient youth. The passion of the The play is one of several that early comedy, the work of a central drama is counterpointed Shakespeare based on true young playwright learning his by the wit of Romeo’s friend events, as chronicled by the craft. The abrupt reconciliation of Mercutio and the earthiness of Roman historian Plutarch. Julius the young men in the final scene Juliet’s Nurse, two brilliantly Caesar is a remarkable study of can be hard to accept. But on colourful characters. political intrigue. It is susceptible stage Shakespeare’s dramatic to agit-prop interpretation, often instincts prevail, and a lively A testament to the immortal as a representation of the production can help overlook power of what is frequently billed struggle for freedom .