We’re three glorious weeks into the Citizen Theatre Makers programmes, working towards our summer project, Shakespeare Nation: A Norwich Story, and our live performance weekend this September. This marks a partnership we have had with The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) through an adult engagement programme since 2019.
As part of this programme, our theatre makers will create self-devised pieces based on Hamlet to coincide with the RSC national tour, which heads to Norwich Theatre Royal between 10 – 14 Mar. We’ve got so much to share with you about what our eager participants have been up to.
Our Storytellers have been busy writing, drawing on their own experiences to interpret the text, with some heartfelt and illuminating results. Workshops have included a session led by the brilliant Steve Waters, British Playwright and lecturer in scriptwriting at UEA. They will continue to develop this work to include a 10-minute performance.
Our Women in Shakespeare group is examining the roles of women through the lens of Ophelia and Gertrude and how this applies to modern contexts. They’re currently examining plants and herbs, particularly Ophelia’s use of the herb Rue, which has connections to women’s reproductive health and fertility.
A session led by Mary Benefiel, holistic voice coach, even introduced a Shruti box, allowing our participants to develop voice control in a new and fun way. The performance, tentatively titled ‘Ophelia’s Rue’, and will explore women’s place in society, from ‘purity’ to ‘liberation’ and beyond.
Our Stories in Motion groups have been exploring ‘the madness of Hamlet’ through movement. This group will collaborate with the Natyapriya Dance Company, which will introduce traditional Bharatanatyam dance to our participants.
This will culminate in a cultural fusion, using the theme of an Indian wedding to explore the controversial marriage of Claudius and Gertrude, which serves as the catalyst for Hamlet’s mental decline within the play, with a 20-minute dance performance titled ‘Aham’, meaning ‘self’ in Sanskrit.
As part of our commitment as a Theatre of Sanctuary, we’ll be working with refugees and recent migrants as they apply the themes of Hamlet to their experiences with displacement, as well as people and cultures throughout the world. Most likely led in Turkish, this will include a 10-minute performance.
All performances will take place around Norwich during our Shakespeare Nation Weekend held on 20 – 21 Sep; tickets go on sale to the general public 25 Jul. Plus, there will be other digital coverage to showcase the talents of our Citizen Theatre Makers, so make sure to follow us on social media so you don’t miss out!
