We were all very excited because day 4 was devoted to spending time with Iqbal Khan, who recently directed Tartuffe and Othello at the RSC. Iqbal was brilliant and we tarted by looking at the Othello scene and the death of Desdemona. We talked through the text and really unpicked the scene bit by bit.
We then looked at staging the scene and how we would put it together. We looked at the power of music to influence a scene and how a performer can use music to create character. We also looked at how we can use audience response to change a characters mindset.
We then had the amazing opportunity to split in to two groups to truly investigate the scene. Two people took on the roles and the other three directed the scene. We then got a chance to review and reflect on the work of others. It was powerful to watch the scenes and how different directors made different decisions and the effect of these decisions.
The visit to the costume department in the afternoon was an eye opener! We had not seen so many costumes in one space before and it was huge! The department were so good with us and answered a barrage of questions. We could not believe how many different ‘things’ there were in the costume department. We also got a chance to visit ‘The Plays The Thing’ and to see the story of the RSC and the history of such a great organisation. Just brilliant!
Conversations in the car
We talked a lot in the car about what it takes to work in the creative industries and what it is like to lead. These conversations sprung out of the many opportunities we were given to work with exceptional people. We loved the fact that we have been given time to debate, discuss and challenge ideas in an environment where we feel safe and secure. We felt that the work we have done on Shakespeare texts has been great and it has opened our eyes to the many possibilities that exists. The fact that we are working with Intermission has been one of the best things about the course. Being able to see how another youth theatre think and to be able to work with them has been amazing. Every adult that has worked with us has shown us respect and has allowed us to express our opinions and we truly feel very privileged to have this experience. For many of us this is the first time we have ever had access to this experience, and it has truly changed our outlook. We definitely feel that we can take these skills and build upon them and we all want to direct something as soon as possible!
