This Autumn, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) will perform its 90-minute First Encounters with Shakespeare production of Twelfth Night to schools and theatres across the country. The Company will visit Birmingham, Northampton, Cumbria, Blackpool, County Durham, Middlesbrough, York, Bradford, Hull, Nottingham, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Suffolk and Stratford-upon-Avon from 20 September to 12 November.
The aim is to bring Shakespeare and live performance to those who have never seen his work live and to younger audiences, with a focus on areas of structural disadvantage. Using edited versions of the original language, First Encounters with Shakespeare productions are 90-minute, abridged versions of Shakespeare’s plays. Twelfth Night has been given a 21st century update with an environmentally conscious take on Shakespeare’s tale of heartbreak, hoaxes and hidden identities. Directed by Robin Belfield, the production has environmental sustainability at its core and has been co-created with young people from the Company’s Associate Schools* programme and partner theatres.
As well as looking at ways to limit waste and reduce the environmental impact of the theatre-making process, designer Georgie White has led a team of students from Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA) to design and create a set made from reclaimed and recycled materials.
Jacqui O’Hanlon, RSC Director of Learning and National Partnerships, said:
‘At the heart of our First Encounters tour are the regional theatres and schools we create it with. Many of us have our first encounter with Shakespeare at school, an experience that can define our attitude to live theatre and to Shakespeare for the rest of our lives. Together we bring the excitement of live performance of Shakespeare’s work into the heart of schools and local communities.
‘We know that many who see First Encounters are new to Shakespeare and to theatre. Testament to the impact that partnerships between schools and theatres can make; partnerships forged in a shared vision of an arts rich education as the right of every child.’
The RSC’s Associate Schools Programme is the Company’s national partnership programme with schools and regional theatres which deliberately targets areas of structural disadvantage, including 26 areas of multiple deprivation across the country. Each year the RSC works with 500,000 children and young people to develop reading, writing and language skills as well as support the development of key life, work and social skills.
The production opens at Nelson Mandela School in Birmingham (20-21 September) before touring to schools and theatres in Northampton, Cumbria, Blackpool, County Durham, Middlesbrough, York, Bradford, Hull, Nottingham, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Suffolk. The final performances take place in Stratford-upon-Avon between 10 ans12 November.
A story of mistaken identity, Viola finds herself washed up in a strange land separated from her twin brother. Disguising herself as a man called Cesario, Viola finds work with Duke Orsino, only to fall head over heels in love with him. But Orsino is in love with Olivia, who is grieving for her brother and refusing all offers of romance. Until, that is, she sees Cesario for the first time.
Commenting on the production, Director, Robin Belfield, said: “We want children and young people’s first encounters with live theatre and Shakespeare to be fun, engaging and meaningful. So, we asked them what was important to them, and two things came across very clearly and consistently: that the show should be a co-creation between the RSC and the young people themselves and that climate crisis should sit at its heart.
“From thinking about how much paper we use to print scripts, programmes, flyers and posters; to how we reduce mileage and the size of van we use; to the design and sustainability of costumes and set, it’s been an incredible journey. Whilst we haven’t resolved all the issues, it’s been an incredibly interesting and important process that will have broader implications and inform the way we work across the whole of the RSC in the future.”
The creative team includes: Georgie White (Designer), Simon Slater (Music), Asha Jennings-Grant (Movement) and Nicky Cox (Associate Director). Performance times and ticketing information will be updated in the coming weeks on RSC website.
Casting will be announced in the autumn.
