Part 1 – Naughtiness – the spirit of the play
http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/23000/23032/shakespeare_23032.htm
We are concentrating on…………
Naughtiness !!!!!!! http://blingee.com/blingee/view/104479477-Gangsta-Shakespeare We will consider Naughtiness in the context of: Naughtiness – what is it? Naughtiness Naughtiness in Jacobean times
Naughtiness - reflections
Naughtiness Is Rare.—most people are too much absorbed in themselves to be bad – Friedrich Nietzsche. Naughtiness has to be seen in terms of a relationship to law and authority. This implies disobedience. However the manner of disobedience and its interpretation has changed over time. What was once ‘naughty’ might be considered totally respectable and within the law today. A definition of naughtiness then has changed over time but generally refers to some form of misbehaviour. Other languages perhaps get closer to what is involved in ‘naughtiness’, the Spanish form, ‘Travesura’ and it’s translation are helpful, it literally means to turn things upside down!
How bad is Naughty? While it clearly involves disobedience does it invite a court appearance and a prison sentence? Many people have made their career from being ‘Naughty”, perhaps the inverted commas are the safety net in that it’s not really naughty! Benny Hill had a successful career with the naughtiness of titillation, mild sexual innuendo and double entendre and many of us recognise the idea of naughty with that adult connotation. Just to show the topsy-turvy nature of it all Naughtiness is also identified as a trait displayed by children and their disobedience. So the world of ‘naughty’ encompasses impropriety for adults and disobedience for children.
Naughtiness in Jacobean times The theatre of Shakespeare’s day received an enormous amount of hostility from the religious orders. Alongside them Civil authorities listed many concerns for the safety of the audiences, targeting among other things the unruly mobs of theatre-goers, the unsanitary viewing conditions, and the unsavoury rabble of prostitutes and riff-raff who frequented the spectacles. The theatre was "inherently disorderly," and presented a serious threat to public morality. At the vanguard of opposition was the Church, who questioned the unwholesome moral content of the plays. The Theatre was Satan’s Lair, Satan’s domain where blasphemy and transvestism lead honest god fearing men astray. Strange how there is little reference to women’s morality being under attack in most of the works of the time but there again Women had been the source of man’s downfall in the first place! Greenblatt writes, "stage plays were part of a demonic tangle of obscene practices proliferating like a cancer in the body of society" Despite the moral indignation and the ranting of the clergy the theatre weathered the storm. There was no question that in Jacobean times there were many who felt that the theatre was indeed a place of debauchery and naughtiness. Here’s a comment from a Mr Stubbes in 1583: ‘Do they not maintain bawdry, insinuate foolery, and renew the remembrance of heathen idolatry? Do they not induce whoredom and uncleanness? Nay, are they not rather plain devourers of maidenly virginity and chastity? For proof whereof but mark the flocking and running to Theaters and Curtains, daily and hourly, night and day, time and tide, to see plays and interludes where such wanton gestures, such bawdy speeches, such laughing and fleering, such kissing and bussing, such clipping and culling, such winking and glancing of wanton eyes, and the like is used, is wonderful to behold. Then these goodly pageants being ended, every mate sorts to his mate, every one brings another homeward of their way very friendly, and in their secret conclaves (covertly) they play the sodomites, or worse’.
[The Anatomie of Abuses by Philip Stubbes (1583)] The debauchery clearly ran to ‘laughing’ and one has to use one’s imagination to guess at the nature of ‘fleering’. It actually is duller than you think and means to scoff in derision! Aside from the Puritanical attacks the Theatre was a place of great entertainment and was viewed in a different way to today. The audience would eat and drink, have little notion of the solemnity of the performance, have little regard for silence, engage with the actors in talking back and react noisily to their performance. Was this Naughty? We certainly might consider that this was lacking in respect and consideration for the actors of the Day but by their standards this clearly was not naughty.
Shakespeare and Naughtiness From the 14th century Naughtiness appears throughout literature as behaving incorrectly in the eyes of someone else, or some form of authority. Within the Bible, naughtiness is wicked and evil and represents sinful existence and that from which one should seek redemption: “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
Naughty the word Shakespeare deploys the word naughty in a variety of ways. First as being ‘needy’, or having nothing, or indicating a nought, or lack of something. Cleopatra’s ‘All’s but nought’ is a reference to worthless or useless.
Again in Henry Vi…….
“Glory is like a circle in the water, Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself Til by broad spreading it disperse to naught –
http://liz-green.com/2011/03/what-pebble-are-you-throwing-in-the-pond/
The strongest sense of the word is seen as ‘vile’ or ‘wicked’. Buckingham in Henry V1 Part ii speaks to the king about ‘ A sort of naughty persons who have practised dangerously against your state’ Shakespeare offers this as a dystopic vision of naughtiness in ‘The Merchant of Venice’, as Portia sees a light in the distance: “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.” The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet warns Juliet of men as ‘all forsworn, all naught, all dissemblers. In this sense they are wicked, so quite far removed from our definition of naughtiness as we originally presented it.
Naughty in deed So the use of the word has a variety of connotations in the hands of Shakespeare but what constituted naughty in the Jacobean world and in the work of Shakespeare? One thing that was definitely seen as naughty at this time was the practice of cross dressing, but by women not men. It was perfectly okay in the theatre for men to flounce around in dresses but for women to openly cavort about town in male apparel was an abomination! The Country may not have been awash with women who wore breeches, doublets, and daggers, but there were enough to cause concern. The women were seen as ‘monsters’ and ‘hermaphrodites’, The words of Mr Stubbes again, what a busy man he was, so after attacking the theatre he turned his attention to women. “The women also there have dublets and Jerkins... but yet they blush not to wears it, as if they could as well chaunge their sex, & put on the kinde of man, as they can weare apparel assigned onely to man, I think they would as verily become men indeed... Wherefore these Women may not improperly be called Hermaphroditi, that is, Monsters of bothe kindes, half women, half-men”.
That this was a widespread concern is witnessed by the intervention of the King, James 1st, when he directed the Bishop of London to call together his priests and to pass on to them his commandment: “that they inveigh vehemently and bitterly in theyre sermons against the insolencie of our women, and theyre wearing of brode brimd hats, pointed dublets, theyre haire cut short or shorne, and some of them stilletoes or poniards, and such other trinckets of like moment, adding withall that yf pulpit admonitions will not reforme them he wold proceed by another course...” Indeed the King’s wishes were carried out and up and down the country the pulpits rang out with attacks upon this practice.
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The attack was then taken up by an anonymous author in the pamphlet Hic Mulier or the Man- Woman: “For since the daies of Adam women were never so Masculine; Masculine in their genders and whole generations, from the Mother to the youngest daughter; Masculine in number; from one to multitudes; Masculine in case, even from the head to the foot; Masculine in Moode, from bold speech, to impudent action; and Masculine in Tense: for (without redresse) the [y] were, are, and will be still most Masculine, most mankinde, and most monstrous. The pamphlet called on all men to withhold the funds that allowed women to dress in such fashion”.
Shortly after the appearance of Hic Mulier came the reply, Haec Vir: Or the Womanish-Man “What slavery can there be in freedom of election? or what baseness, to crowne my delights with those pleasures which are most suteable to mine affection”
http://www.renaissancematters.com/tag/haec-vir/
This tract speaks out for the equality of women: “We are as free-borne as Men, have as free election, and as free spirits, we are compounded of like parts, and may with like liberty make benefit of our Creations: my countenance shall smile on the worthy, and frowne on the ignoble, I will hear the Wise, and bee deafe to Ideots”. So it is clear that cross-dressing in Jacobean times caused controversy, and it was readily picked up by the playwrights of the day.
Middleton and Dekker in their Comedy, The Roaring Girl, have as a central figure a woman named Moll Frith. This was the infamous character Moll Cut purse, real name Mary Frith. The interesting thing however is that in the play she was not in ‘disguise’ like Shakespeare’s characters. She was presented as a woman wearing men’s clothes and the crux of the play is how all the other characters relate to her. Perhaps it is too bold a step to imagine that these playwrights were challenging the established social and sexual values of their day. Whatever their intent, the character was based on a very real brawling, singing, smoking woman dressed in breeches and boots and armed with a sword. In the work of Shakespeare one fifth of the plays involve cross-dressing! However there is a significant difference between the presentation of Moll by Middleton and Dekker and that of Viola in Twelfth Night. In contrast to Moll, Viola seeks to conceal her identity and the donning of the male disguise extends her social freedom, her ability to be on more equal terms with those around her. Some would argue that this comic form reinforces the traditions of the time, the status quo, for after all the disguise is abandoned and resolved in marriage, whereby the traditional role of wife is accepted. Enough for now, but it is food for thought or is that food for love?
Twelfth Night and Naughtiness The very title is a giveaway! The celebration of Twelfth Night dates back to medieval England, and marks a turning point between the midwinter festival that begins with Halloween and ends as the Carnival season begins. In Shakespeare’s time it had long since become an occasion for merrymaking, bringing the Christmas holiday to a close, and it was traditionally presided over by a Lord of Misrule, usually chosen with a bean hidden in a cake. The existing world was turned upside down, the Lord of Misrule deposing whoever was in authority and invoking activities that heralded this topsy-turvy world , creating carnival disorder. So, in Shakespeare’s play, a man plays a girl pretending to be a man, a lover takes perverse amorous satisfaction in unrequited love, identical twins are confused, a belligerent nitwit assumes he is so attractive that a countess will marry him, a servant imagines he is worthy of being made a noble, cakes and ale triumph over virtue, and on it goes. We witness the two worlds within Illyria, this fictional realm , that of the exalted households of Duke Orsino and Countess Olivia and the debauched world of Sir Toby Belch and his hangers on. Caught between the two worlds we have two contrasting figures. One who believes he is in control, Malvolio, a self-made man who aspires to higher things and by contrast, Feste, the fool that understand all, is the only one who feigns madness and it is he who presides over their suffering and eventual triumph.
Naughtiness in the Everyman? It is tempting to think that over the years the puritanical element has won through and that the theatre has become the temple of solemnity and that we gather in reverential worship and silence. This could be true of what we regard as ‘traditional’ theatre but history has shared with us many types of theatre and we, the spectators, bring our own experiences and histories to the event, causing us to react differently to different productions. We learn the conventions of theatre and then create the ritual which in turns induces comfort and familiarity. The exciting part is that theatre practitioners have spent much of their time challenging these conventions and invite us to react and relate to the theatrical experience. The Everyman has a tradition of being the naughty little sister to the reverential Playhouse. Perhaps an oversimplification but you will have to decide for yourself just how naughty you should be!
Naughtiness …………….Reflections Naughty is just this side of the law, it’s bad but not that bad. To be naughty normally means to get away with something, it suggests the presence of law or a norm, that which needs to be subverted, and yet the law is unable to do anything as the perpetrator is purely being naughty. It is suggested that naughtiness is forgivable It could be argued that only through wrong doing do we learn to develop our self- control, so children can be naughty and as long as they learn it is naughty they can be good.
There are a variety of definitions for our naughtiness. 1) disobedient; mischievous. From the Oxford English dictionary – especially of a child being badly behaved; disobedient: you’ve been a really naughty boy-
Naughty children This appeared in the Daily Telegraph in 2012:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/8377920/Lookout-Mr-President-Dennis-The-Menace-gets-a-60thbirthday-treat-Meeting-President-Obama.html
Six primary school children are being arrested every day leading to youngsters being criminalised for behaviour that was once written off as naughtiness, a report claims. More than 209,000 young people were detained by police in England and Wales last year with 2,117 under the age of 11. Campaigners claim just a quarter of those children arrested are ever sentenced for a criminal offence, with most being picked up for indulging in pranks and minor mischief. In one case in Sussex, four youngsters were swooped upon by police after throwing sticks at a horse chestnut tree.
Now talking about conkers many schools have banned playing conkers on the grounds that it is far too dangerous and when they do allow it safety eye wear must be worn. Quite right I hear you say, a rampant conker could take someone’s eye out! But where’s the fun gone. Isn’t that part of being a child that one does things that are not always good for you or that might be a bit risky? It’s not as if children will be dying on the playing fields of Britain playing Conkers. Somewhere in between lies common sense. The rant continues with respect to the cleaning down of all surfaces with antiseptic lotions just in case our children get ill…….and there’s more…You can list hundreds of things that you did, if you are old enough, over 30 should do it, that could not be allowed today This might lead to thinking about whether children can be naughty today? What is acceptable naughtiness for the children of today? After all in schools any wayward behaviour is immediately diagnosed and curbed through counselling and medication. We have taken on board the naughty step and recommendations from television nannies to take charge of our children and ensure they know their place but when can they be naughty?
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2. improper, indecorous, or indecent: a naughty word. This is usually seen as mildly rude or indecent and typically related to sex
Helpfully, the Dictionary provides an example : ‘naughty goings-on’ So now you know!
Naughty Is The New Nice Ladies Pink T-Shirt - Buy Online at ...www.grindstore.com - 900 × 1200
Naughty but nice: Alexander McQueen Naughty is connected to being risqué and it is hard to escape this definition today of naughty. Advertising campaigns even by those in Haute Couture stray in to this area. Advertising campaigns also use the idea of naughty when something is clearly bad for you but clearly invites you to indulge yourself. Those Cream cakes, that chocolate…..Talking of chocolate what about that Cadbury’s Advert. Do you remember the Crispelo one? Take a look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf_aOlhjSJw Now how weird was that and what on earth were they thinking?
2) Naughty as in ‘wicked’ Wicked can mean evil or morally wrong, such as "a wicked and unscrupulous man" There is also implied an intention that the person is capable of harming someone or something. Or in more recent times a way of saying something is wonderful or excellent! In the sense of Naughty however it generally means to be playful or mischievous. This can involve teasing someone or just being irritating or troublesome. “People commonly tease each other, but it appears that people who are teased often misunderstand the intentions of the person doing the teasing. Often, teasing is done in a spirit of affection and playfulness, and teasers attempt to convey these intentions through subtle nonverbal cues. However those who are being teased tend to miss this. Depending on the Interpretation of Twelfth Night the teasing of Malvolio can become that of a torment where madness ensues. Much has been written elsewhere and far more worthy so where are we up to? Are there any conclusions we can come to….. is it okay to be naughty today?
Final thoughts The connotations of naughtiness : Calling an adult a “naughty girl” for, say, fancying someone or eating a cream cake could be seen, depending on your viewpoint, as patronising and slightly weird or as ‘playful’ and ‘mischievous’ The former would only countenance Children and dogs as naughty, while the latter embraces the notion that adults can be naughty too! What constitutes naughty does change from time to time, from Century to Century. Our legislation in recent years has not felt the need to concern itself with cross dressing and our sense of morality has changed. The moral indignation that surrounded the cross dressing in medieval and later times has gone and it is no longer the case that women are attacked for wearing trousers, ties, and men's hats. Nevertheless, many cultures around the world still prohibit women from wearing trousers or other traditionally male clothing and if you check out the websites you will find plenty of orthodox views in the Christian world who have sympathies with this view.
Mark Thomas recently performed his 100 acts of Dissent at the Playhouse so maybe he can point the way to naughtiness? He has committed himself to 100 acts of minor dissent, i.e. naughtiness, by May 2014 and if he fails he will donate £1000 to the political party UKIP. He is well on his way to this total and it’s interesting to consider some of his activities, needless to say they are political but at a level, he believes, where he cannot be prosecuted under the law.
He has carried out subversive activities in Supermarkets – removed adult magazines from the store and changed the pictures and returned them. Book – Heckling – This is where he slips in a one line sarcastic message in a book in a chain-store. The slip for Dan Brown? “The person who bought you this hates you.” What’s the time Mr Wolf – a mass protest on Hyde Park to protest against the central London Parks charging sports teams to play in the Parks. Demonstrations outside Multi- Million pound homes with organised ‘welcome committees’ Asked what form these committees take he replied "Me singing 'Neighbours' and holding a big sign saying 'I LOVE CRACK'." Mark was involved in the production of a video that drew attention to a store that had spent £7 million on a Christmas advertising campaign while paying their cleaners less than the living wage. You can see that video here - http://vimeo.com/82336937 Invading the Apple Store on Regent's Street with an Irish ceilidh band to protest the company's tax arrangements. Photographing policemen while on duty.
Some quotes on ‘Naughtiness’ “Kids should be naughty and go through that rebellious phase I didn't have”. Naomie Harris (Calypso – in Pirates of the Caribbean) “Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere.” ― Mae West, Wit & Wisdom of Mae West “The opportunity was too perfect to miss. Harry crept silently around behind Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, bent down, and scooped a large handful of mud out of the path. 'We were just talking about your friend Hagrid,' Malfoy said to Ron. 'Just trying to imagine what he's saying to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. D'you think he'll cry when they cut off his hippogriff's—' SPLAT. Malfoy's head jerked back as the mud hit him; his silverblond hair was suddenly dripping in muck.” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban “Let's be naughty and save Santa the trip” - seen on a t shirt. “Actors are the best and the worst of people. They're like kids. When they're good, they're very very good. When they're bad they're very very naughty”. Kenneth Branagh “Just because I look sexy on the cover of Rolling Stone doesn't mean I'm naughty”. Britney Spears "I might put a nicer pair of heels on and a cooler outfit, but I'm still that naughty girl who likes a slice of cheesecake on my day off”. Jessie J
Section 2 – Realisation In this section we are interested in the Creative response of the Company to the Text. 1) The Director’s Interpretation 2) The Cast response 3) The Work of the Stage Manager – keeping it together!
The Actor Prepares For many Companies the Rehearsal time is the most exciting and dynamic process. It provides the opportunity for the Company to make choices and decisions in the interpretation of the play. Once the actors are in performance modifications can be given through individual ‘notes’ but significant changes are not normally made. Rehearsals are an opportunity to play, to be experimental and to collaborate on how they will share the plot and the play with the audience. Initially the Company will share their understanding and concerns for the work through a read through. As many of you know this is not a definitive approach and there as many approaches as there are Directors. However the general consensus is that when performing Shakespeare it is vital that there is a common or shared understanding of the play and the Read through is therefore a critical element in establishing the understanding. Beyond this the rehearsals focus on how the themes of the play are to be interpreted and the weighting or significance that is to be placed on them. Within the themes the rehearsals consider the development of relationships and the blocking of the scenes. The blocking involves decisions on where the actors should be on the stage and this also reflects their relationship to each other. This aspect is particularly difficult in Twelfth Night and the Director has to be aware of how the play unfolds and ensure that the blocking reflects this. The practical details of who should be where and whether they should be present at all, given the intricate web that Shakespeare spins in this Play has taken up much of the Director’s time. Enough for the introduction, Gemma has shared her thoughts on her guiding hand in this play and it is with this that we begin our consideration of the realisation, we then share some of the actors thoughts in a light hearted way and finally to the engine room of the production when Roxanne shares a typical day working as Deputy Stage Manager on the show.
This was more an informal chat than an interview but it helped to inform and set the theme of the information pack. The theme of course is that of Naughtiness. You will have read elsewhere that Gemma felt that Twelfth Night was a really appropriate opening play for the Everyman, the
mischievous and naughty little sister of her elder sister, the Playhouse. The Everyman has always sought to challenge audiences and Twelfth Night will be no exception to this rule. Early on, months ago, while passing Gemma on the corridor I attempted to prise out a few gems about the approach she would take. Bear in mind that Gemma has been balancing her normally packed schedule as Artistic Director with the practical task of overseeing the building and completion of the Theatre itself. Immediately Gemma shared the idea that she was fascinated with the idea that within the play all the characters had an inner hidden naughty self that they kept under wraps. On Twelfth Night, this was the night that of course Lords and servants changed roles and could have a different status and live a different life, albeit for one night! They could reveal their hidden selves! This formed part of the rehearsal process in the early stages but as this process developed the cast delved further in to the major themes of the play. While the central theme is on Love and it’s many variations, the conversation ranged across a number of issues and themes that Gemma had considered during the rehearsal process. Initially we discussed the idea of Twelfth Night and how the play portrays women. Gemma immediately picked up on a line that she felt was central to the consideration of how Shakespeare present women in the play: ‘Orsino talks about women having a bloom of perfection and then it’s gone’ ‘For Women are as roses, whose fair flower Being once displayed doth fall that very hour’ Act ii sc iv And actually Viola says that’s Alas kind of true ‘ Alas so they are. Alas that they are so,To die even when they to perfection grow’ And I know subtextually she is saying more than that but there is something in the play that emphasises this vision of femininity. Orsino say you should pick, go for a younger woman and this is a centuries long thing that younger women are more attractive and that it’s absolutely fine for an older man to go out with a younger woman but that it’s wrong for an older woman to go out with a younger man. I admire those women, and there are many, who feel liberated enough to be utterly glamorous when they want to be but are equally secure when they are in their jogging pants, no make-up and they have short hair.
On Cross dressing We moved the conversation to the question as to the significance of cross dressing in the play. There were of course practical reasons as to why men played female roles in earlier times but much consideration has been given to the way Shakespeare portrays women and the issue arises as to whether in this play the ‘women’ are liberated when they become men. ‘It’s really interesting that in this play Viola doesn’t get dressed up in a wedding dress at the end, she remains a boy. There’s a lot of dialogue on ‘let me see you in your women’s clothes’ but Orsino makes the choice to commit to her when she still looks like completely a boy and I love that about the play, I absolutely love that . They have fallen in love when she looks her least girly
and he is still in love with her and actually that commitment to marry her and be with her is made in effect to a man. They have profoundly fallen in love. That seems very beautiful to me. We are not setting it in Elizabethan times but they find a sort of camaraderie, an appreciation of each other that they might not have found had he met her as a woman. He would have been deferential to her he would have talked differently to her. He says ‘I share my innermost soul with you’ I don’t know that he would of done that with a woman. In a way Shakespeare is extraordinarily making a plea for men and women to see beneath the surface and to be able to engage as human beings and fall in love.
On Sebastian and Antonio…..And Love We have got it as a paternalistic love. There is no doubt that anyone giving it a homo-erotic reading I think is completely justified. It is extraordinary how many times Antonio declares his love, purely and passionately. We have a young Sebastian and an older Antonio and I thought yes it’s quite interesting if Antonio’s gay but then actually we are dealing with all sorts of sexual love in the play and so I thought it might be more interesting to ask whether Shakespeare is asking us to look at the nuance of love and humanity. That there can be an extraordinary powerful love from the same gender to the same gender that doesn’t necessarily have to be sexual and can be honest and true and pure. In other words I think the play in so many ways, character to character demonstrates the facets of love whether it’s Toby and Maria, a lord with a chambermaid, an older couple demonstrating mature love, a love without class barriers. We have the love of a man and a woman, man falling in love with a man who is actually a woman, there is heterosexual love and then we have this self- sacrificing, honourable love, that’s an older man worrying about the purity and the youth and the innocence of a young man. That in some ways fascinated me more and I wanted to show the panoply of love in it’s many guises but in essence I was interested in the way love can take you by surprise. Or what you will, the subtitle of the play implies a sort of how you think you can control your own destiny, create your own narrative but then how love just completely takes you and rules over you. Cesario goes to Olivia and says he love you, he loves you, he loves you and Olivia says I know he is noble and list a hundred virtues yet she cannot love him. In other words love cannot be on command. You cannot control death and you cannot control who you fall in love with. Likewise what happens to Viola makes no sense to her, she cannot control her feelings for Orsino. Ultimately he cannot control his feelings either any more than Olivia can make herself love Orsino. Antonio has been struck by a similar feeling, but it’s a different sort of love. The Greeks had many words for love, Agape, Eros, Philia and we have today amalgamated them into this one word. The different meanings would not have been lost on the Elizabethans, and Shakespeare allows us to see the variety of these forms.
Malvolio and Feste……. Feste is the pivotal role. Our Feste is transgender, he is man and woman a\nd he is every clown, he is an amalgamation and he is the one person who doesn’t experience love in the play and stands alone at the end. Feste is an outsider and so at times he is gifted with objectivity. He describes himself as the ‘corrupter of words’. The play is so confusing at times and you find yourself as a director and the cast as trying to solve the mysteries. You discover Feste in scenes when you consider what’s not there. There’s a scene when Maria says explicitly to Feste, Toby and aguecheek, ‘you three go to the box tree, there will I lay a letter and you will expose Malvolio. Cut to the scene, Fabian is there but no sign of Feste. Nobody says hey where’s Feste, but he’s not there, he’s playing truant again. Then much later Toby, Fabian and Aguecheek leave a scene
saying ‘we will carry on taunting Malvolio’ then Fabian is not there and Feste is. No one controls Feste, he is his own master and he has his own massive plot and this plot is revenge on Malvolio. Everyone else taunts Malvolio as a bit of a laugh and they all have their own reason but more or less his last line is that he has achieved his revenge. Malvolio epitomises Puritanism and Feste is not there in Illyria at the beginning of the play because he cannot tolerate what has happened to Olivia’s household under Malvolio. He comes back to rescue Olivia from Malvolio and he seeks to bring youth and joy and cakes and ale back in to this world.
The Cast The Cast were asked 3 questions: 1) Who is your character and how would you describe them? 2) What has been the main challenge? Not everyone replied, the schedules are very demanding and for the last few weeks they have been locked in a rehearsal room and only allowed out for food and the loo! (Slight exaggeration!) So we begin …….. Curio - Neil Caple 1) In this Production he is Head of Orsino’s Household. An old, Experienced and much loved Retainer who thinks of Orsino almost as a son. 2) The small parts in Shakespeare are always the hardest
Maria – Pauline Daniels 1) She is a housekeeper, Chambermaid and Personal assistant to Lady Olivia. She is well organised but wise enough to know that she can outwit most of the people she encounters even though they may be of a higher class. 2) This is my first Shakespeare so the language is difficult and the lines are harder to learn but she is not a million miles away from me, she is naughty and quite funny! Orsino – Adam Levy 1) Words – Passionate, Humble, In love with Love, Extreme, obsessive, frustrated, opal, Trapped, Generous, Eloquent 2) There are three main issues, working through the text in a contemporary way, making sure he doesn’t become down on women and to make him likeable and lovable. Olivia – Natalie Dew 1) She starts the play by mourning her brother’s death. She is sombre, practical and old before her time. However with the arrival of Cesario/Viola she is awakened to become impulsive excitable and she discovers her teenage self with the addition of love in her life 2) One challenge has been to find her status within the household. In our production Olivia is much younger than everyone in the house and yer she is the most powerful. So I guess it’s been interesting to find the balance between someone who in some ways has not got a lot of life experience and yet she is in control of a considerable estate.
Viola – Jodie McNee 1) She is brave, honest, open and greets the world with a child like curiosity. 2) My main challenge has been trying to pin down the difference between Cesario and Viola- why she needs to become her brother and how that manifests itself. Charlotte Broom and I have been working very closely on this particular theme.
Sebastian – Luke Jerdy 1) He is the twin brother to Viola. He is full of the innocence of youth and filled with kindness. Open, fresh-faced and looking for love. 2) Getting to grips with the language. It’s my first Professional Shakespeare production so feel I am constantly learning and taking things in, a bit like Sebastian really! The challenge for me is filtering everything down, to not have so many different ideas and techniques in my head at once Malvolio - Nick Woodeson 1) Malvolio – Definition – ‘Ill Will’ - Is he deliberately malicious? – NO! However his judgement of his fellow human beings is always negative. His natural impulse is always to condemn, obstruct, undermine, discourage, deter, deny. His first response is NO! If Toby is a playboy then Malvolio is a killjoy. Olivia says ‘he is sick of selflove’, probably true. He rates himself high and everyone else, apart from Olivia, low. Does he love Olivia…. I don’t Know! 2) Forgetting how everyone else has done it! Valentine – Robin Morrissey 1) Valentine is a friend and serving man to the Duke Orsino. He works in the court along with Curio. He is the initial messenger to Viola from Orsino but is unable to entreat her. He is a loyal, young man who wants to see Orsino happy and at peace. 2) The main challenge has been discovering how Valentine reacts to the arrival of Cesario and how that changes his relationship with Orsino and his standing in the court.
Interview with Matthew Kelly - Sir Toby Belch Matthew preferred the cosy fireside chat to filling in the form and the interview that follows is again an informal sharing of thoughts as he works his way through the production. It’s been quite a journey since you started out your career, what have been the highlights? Oh my, loads! I suppose it comes down to the fact That I have always been able to do what I always dreamt of doing from the age of 6 i.e. play in the dressing up box and now getting paid in beer tokens! On arriving at the Everyman When I first came to the Everyman the first play that I performed in was Taming of the Shrew and we did Brecht’s Coriolanus. I find Shakespeare quite hard but I like it. I like to make sense with it, because once you have made sense of it then it is fantastic. The last time I was here I did Endgame with my son, Matthew and that was one of my favourite productions. Two years later Matthew played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, probably Becket’s most famous play at the Haymarket with Ian Mckellen. Our conversation turned to a comparison with Becket and Shakespeare and how difficult the roles are to play. It’s easier for most of us to remember Matthew as the TV presenter and host of stars in their eyes but as the reviews for his stage performances testify he “ has shown himself to be an acting chameleon who stands comparison with some of the best in the business”- Dominic Cavendish in the Daily Telegraph. As far as Twelfth Night is concerned this will be the fourth time that I have performed it. Aguecheek once, Malvolio once, and I’ve never played Toby Belch, although my son has played the role! He was fantastic, I sat in the audience and thought blimey I shouldn’t be watching my own child playing Toby Belch! It made me feel really, really old, which I probably am. I do have a bus pass which I can thoroughly recommend, I highly recommend it and it’s so worth waiting for and you get a heating allowance as well! On Toby Belch There are two ways in my view of finding a character. One is that you see the character as somebody else and you learn as much about them as you can. Then eventually you take on their traits. Or you see this person as yourself and there but for different circumstances you would have gone. I always do the latter. Toby Belch being a lush suits me down to the ground! On Falling for Maria I think he has always been in love with her, she is his muse, his mentor. She is not afraid of him, she keeps him in line. She tolerates him, never judges him and tries to save him from himself. She doesn’t mind telling him when he needs to be told. Those people are trustworthy and reliable and she’s good company. The fact that they are from different backgrounds I think strengthens the relationship. In twelfth Night Toby and Maria have the most successful relationship, but then I would say that wouldn’t I! On the future of theatre and the New Everyman
I joined the theatre in the 1967 and it was dying on its arse then. Everyone was saying ‘theatre is dead to Television, theatre is dead to film. What we need to understand about theatre is a) its cultural heritage, b) the fact that it generates money, for every £1 put in to the theatre it generates £4 and c) it’s the centre of the Community. It’s good for local business, it draws people together, it makes a town centre a safer place to be. It’s worth fighting for and Liverpool understands this better than any other City in the Country
Matthew Kelly as Sir Toby Belch Photo © Stephen Vaughan
Section 3 – The work of the Deputy Stage Manager Most of us are familiar with the idea that the ‘DSM’ runs the ‘book’, but what is this exactly and what else is involved in this role? The following provides an overview of two typical days in the life of the DSM, one in rehearsal and then one in the week before performance when the technical elements are brought in to play
A Day in the Life of a DSM: REHEARSALS 9.30: Arrive at work, check the rehearsal room and Green Room are ready for the day 10.00 Meet up with the rest of the Stage Management team (Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager) 10.30: Morning Rehearsals. Sit with the Director, Assistant Director and any of the creative team (Designers, Choreographer,Composer) and watch the company rehearsing. Make sure all the props and furniture are in the right place. Follow the script and help the actors with their lines Most importantly make detailed notes of where the actors are standing and moving; this is called the blocking. 11.45 TEA BREAK. 12.00 Rehearsals Continue. Make sure any parallel activities are taking place – dance calls or costume fittings for example. 13.30: LUNCH. If there is a Production Meeting all the teams gather together to discuss the production and talk through any notes 14.30: Afternoon Rehearsals. Update notes ready for the busiest time – Tech Week, which is when everything gets put together on stage! 16.15: TEA BREAK. Talk to the Director about what they want to do the following day. 17.00 Rehearsals Continue 18.30: Actors all go home. Type up the schedule for the following day and send it to all the actors and creative teams.
Type up all the various requests and comments from the day’s rehearsals into the Notes Document and send this to everyone involved in the production. 19.00 Go home! Unless there are evening rehearsals, in which case the day ends much later…..
A Day in the Life of a DSM: TECH WEEK 9.00: Arrive at work, quick cup of tea and get notes from the lighting and sound design departments. 9.15
Call the actors to the stage.
09.30 Tech Session Run through the play from beginning to end, adding all the technical elements including lights, sounds and costumes. Adding ALL the cues to ‘The Book’ and calling the show – a sort of Technical Conductor! 11.45 TEA BREAK. 12.00 Tech Session Continues. As well as ‘calling’ the lighting cues on cans, operating the sound effects computer and helping the actors with cue lights (like traffic lights with a red and green) for their entrances! 13.00: ACTORS BREAK AND GET CHANGED. Get notes and extra cues from the designers. Speak to Stage Manager about upcoming scene changes or to Wardrobe about costume changes 13.30 LUNCH 14.30: Afternoon Tech Session. Sometimes scenes have to be repeated 5 or 6 times until we get them right. 16.15: TEA BREAK. 17.00 Tech Session Continue 18.00 ACTORS BREAK AND GET CHANGED Put notes into ‘The Book’ neatly. Help the rest of Stage Management Team tidy up, set up prop tables or fix props.
18.30 SUPPER 19.30 Evening Tech Session 21.45 ACTORS BREAK AND GO HOME Get final notes and talk about the schedule for the following day, which the Stage Manager will type up and communicate to everyone 22.00 Go Home!
Response In this section we will provide activities that allow reflection on the play and its performance. We will look at: Set Design; How actors can work on creating the characters in the play; A structured guide to producing a play review.
Set Design All the scenery, furniture and props the audience sees during a production of a play make up the set design. The set designer's job is to design the physical surroundings in which the action will take place. The overall look of the set also gives the audience information about the director's concept of the production. The set should: •
suggest the style and tone of the whole production
•
create mood and atmosphere
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give clues as to the specific time and place of the action
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offer creative possibilities for the movement and grouping of the actors
In this exercise, you are going to work on designing the set for Twelfth Night. Imagining Illyria Viola: Captain: Viola:
What country, friends, is this? This is Illyria lady. And what should I do in Illyria? My brother he is in Elysium. (Act 1 Scene 2: lines 1–3)
By being imprecise, Illyria is free to live in our imagination. Of course, the word itself is suggestive: it sounds exotic, a far-off land and indeed it was, as such, a place existed it was the western Balkan Coast. However, few would have known those shores and Shakespeare created its fictional counterpart. Viola’s reference to ‘Elysium’ – the ancient Greek version of heaven – is often interpreted as a sign that for her, in every way, Illyria feels the opposite of paradise because she believes her brother to be dead.
Shakespeare provides little for us to decide on the actual appearance of Illyria. Given the Stage of his day, this was intentional as elaborate sets were unknown. The imprecision allows our imagination to work on creating this world.
There are some tangible elements to be taken from the scenes:
The coast of Illyria where Viola first appears having been rescued from a shipwreck. The rooms occupied by Sir Toby Belch and his cronies such as Sir Andrew Aguecheek The palace of Orsino where he listens to music and indulges his belief that one day Olivia will become his wife. Olivia’s home. She is in mourning for her parents. She is described as being ‘like a cloistress’ (Act I Scene 2). What does this mean? The area of the garden in which Malvolio discovers the false letter from Olivia (Act II Scene 5).
As a set designer, you need to consider how your design can incorporate these elements. Will you design 5 separate sets? In practical terms this would be unlikely:
It would be too costly. Scene changes need to be kept to a minimum – they add time and bore the audience!
So, you need to consider a ‘general’ set that can have adaptations or additions that will imply or create these other scenes. Here are the tasks for your work set out as if a professional designer was approaching the work: 1. Research Consider what these scenes should look like? What themes of the play are to be emphasised? What is the style and period of the setting? What is essential? What ideas does the Director want to highlight? 2. Draw your ideas Armed with your research and the Director’s concept, you can begin to draw your idea of your stage Provide sketches of the significant elements in your design Draw a plan to show the acting area in relation to the set 3. White card model Produce a white card mock-up of the set to scale – usually 1:25 In a real production, this would be presented to the Company and thoughts shared then any necessary changes or problems suggested would be addressed and the model would be re-presented. 4. Final model A final model would be produced which shows all the detail of the set and the stage. This would include representation of materials/fabrics colour/ pattern and texture used.
Characterisation In this section we will consider first the nature of two of the characters, Malvolio and Feste and try to gain a greater understanding of them. We will also look at a specific scene, Sebastian and Antonio and consider how it is presented and then look at how movement can be helpful in deepening our understanding of the text. Two Characters – Malvolio and Feste
Malvolio A review of a recent performance of Twelfth Night wrote of Malvolio as: ‘incredibly funny, utterly heart-breaking, deeply sophisticated, beguilingly simple, hugely compassionate, completely uncompromising and incredibly intricate. All at the same time.‘ He is a fascinating character and he can be interpreted as the pompous and arrogant steward that gets what he deserves, or as a pathetic character, especially at the end of the play who does not deserve the treatment or torture that he receives. As an audience we can hate him, be angry with him or sympathise with him when his madness comes to the fore.
Exercise 1. Malvolio is the only character who actually is quite unhappy at the end of the play; even though it is a comedy, ask yourself: Do you think Malvolio deserved his punishment? Do people take Malvolio seriously? Should they pay more attention to his feelings? How do you think Malvolio should be treated by others?
2. As the Director of the play, what view do you take of Malvolio, how would you want the role played and why? What support do you get from Shakespeare’s play for your interpretation? Think of a television or Film actor that you would like to play the role. Explain your choice?
Feste Like the blind prophet in Greek Tragedy, the fool is the only one who has a handle on reality and knows and, some might say, directs the action of the play. Shakespeare takes this traditional role and extends his significance to philosopher and muse. He exists, in some undefined way, outside of the frame, outside of the boundaries of the idyllic Illyria, entering scenes to observe and interact and comment on those other inhabitants of the play,
but he ultimately is the only one who is untouched by the play’s “happy ending,” in a positive or a negative sense. Geoffrey Bush proposes that the reason the Fool, in general, is thus unaffected by the ending of the comedy is because the fool is not in progress towards himself, the fool is always himself, and he preserves what he is by ignoring a world rushing headlong toward weddings. The fool is a fact, and he is the only fact that cannot be governed by the comic dream. Feste is constrained by his role as a Fool. He is defined by his title; he is a jester, a wit; his sole purpose is to be a “corrupter of words,” and to amuse those in whose service he is employed. As part of his function as an allowed Fool, Feste is permitted greater freedoms than virtually any other servant, and is given leave to use his wit and intelligence to suggest to others that it is they who are the fools, not he. He entertains himself by convincing others that they are indeed the fools: Here, in this script he is referred to as Clo (Clown) Clo.: Good madonna, why mournest thou? Olivia. Good fool, for my brother's death. Clo. I think his soul is in hell, madonna. Olivia: I know his soul is in heaven, fool. Clo.: The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul being in heaven. — Take away the fool, gentlemen.
Characterisation and Speech For this exercise we are going to look at the two characters, Sebastian and Antonio. Sebastian is Viola's twin brother who has been lost at sea. He survives a shipwreck but he has been separated from his sister, Viola. Eventually, he's fished out of the ocean by a sailor, Antonio, who falls in love with him. We don't see much of Sebastian in the play, but his character is significant in Twelfth Night. Once Sebastian travels to Illyria, he's mistaken by all for "Cesario" and quickly forms a relationship with the Countess. Antonio having rescued Sebastian, pleads with him to allow him to be his servant just to be in his presence.
Antonio begs: "If you will not murder me for my love, let me be your servant" (2.1.26). At the heart of Act III Scene 3, we learn something of Antonio’s history: Antonio:
I do not without danger walk these streets. Once in a sea-fight ‘gainst the Count his galleys I did some service, of such note indeed, That were I ta’en here it would scarce be answer’d.
Sebastian:
Belike you slew a great number of his people.
Antonio:
The offence is not of such a bloody nature Albeit the quality of the time and quarrel Might well have given us bloody argument. It might have since been answer’d in repaying What we took from them, which for traffic’s sake Most of our city did. Only myself stood out, For which, if I be lapsed in this place, I shall pay dear.
Take Antonio’s lines and consider how they would be spoken. Consider the context: o Where are they? o What has happened? o What is their relationship?
Create a still image which shows the situation.
Here are some suggestions for delivery of the lines:
Antonio is worried about being in Illyria. He needs to check if anyone can hear so he might just whisper his lines. Which lines would he speak the most quietly? Play Antonio as needing to grab Sebastian’s attention and impress him. Which lines might help in this and how would you deliver them? Antonio is worried about being in Illyria. Why would his life be in danger? How could you show this in different ways, maybe through anger, as a spy, as a ruthless criminal? Think of alternative ways that Antonio might say his lines and try them out.
Which do you feel is the most effective ‘reading’ of this speech?
Using movement to explore the narrative James Stredder, in his excellent work, ‘the north face of Shakespeare’ provides an excellent exercise to develop the narrative of the comedy through dance. He offers The Twelfth Night “Excuse Me Dance” to explore the ‘isolated and ‘unrequited’ love that features in the play. To begin, each of the six characters, Olivia and Orsino, Viola and Cesario, Aguecheek, Malvolio and Sebastian needs to be provided with or is given their own ‘love monologue’ This follows from research and comprises lines from the play. The monologues can be read by each of the characters on the move. There are a variety of approaches taken in James Stredder’s work and he, in turn, has leant heavily on the work of Cicely
Berry. One idea will be shared here but this is an area worth exploring as Stredder explains: “Movement, and interaction through movement while reading or speaking, are liberating, making it easier to work with the language”. So, one possibility is ‘staggered starts’: The characters stand around the room. They begin speaking and moving around the room as you touch them on their shoulder. They should use the whole space and weave in and out of each other. When they finish, they should freeze in a suitable pose. The students can repeat but with given contexts – from serious, funny to absurd. Ask the class what new things have they come to understand about the character, the story and the lines Once this has been done, get the characters to work on physicalizing their character. They can think of mannerisms and gestures they might use, or let them consider which part of their body ‘leads’ their character. The Dance: In the group of six, the characters come together for the Twelfth Night “Excuse Me Dance”. Viola and Sebastian sit out the beginning. They should have some means of identifying them as twins, this can be funny!
Provide each character with a briefing card: For Olivia: Olivia wants to dance only with Cesario, but he eludes her. She thinks Malvolio's invitations are a joke and then gets rather alarmed by him as he persists, doesn't even notice Aguecheek's desire to ask her to dance and refuses Orsino's invitations. For Orsino: Orsino wants to dance only with Olivia, but is refused flat. For Malvolio: Malvolio wants to dance only with Olivia. Although she refuses, he per-sists in asking. For Aguecheek: Aguecheek wants to dance only with Olivia, but is too embarrassed and awkward to ask, and anyway can't get near enough. He gets increasingly irritated by the attentions Olivia pays to Cesario. For Viola/Cesario: Viola/Cesario wants to dance only with Orsino, but is disguised as a man and can't ask him. With embarrassment she eludes the attentions of Olivia, who doesn't know that she's a woman. The Dance begins: slow, romantic music. Sebastian sits out the whole of the first phase.
First Phase 1. Everyone reads their love monologue out loud to themselves. 2. They dance alone but begin to eye up those they wish to dance with. 3. On the words – ‘Excuse me’ spoken by the workshop leader, they can all begin making their advances, invitations as on their cards.
Second Phase 1. The leader sends Sebastian into the dance. 2. The leader hands out the additional briefing cards:
To Sebastian:– When Aguecheek assaults you (but wait for it!), you are astounded, but quickly retaliate and put him in his place. When Olivia asks you to dance, you immediately accept her. To Viola/Cesario: When Orsino asks you to dance, you accept gladly. To Olivia:Wait until you see Aguecheek assault Sebastian. Then youask Sebastian to dance, thinking he's Cesario. To your surprise, heaccepts. To Orsino: Wait until you see Olivia and Sebastian dancing. Then you happily ask Viola to dance and she accepts.
To Malvolio: You follow Olivia, at a distance, but when you see her dancing with Sebastian, you drop out of the dance and sit down in despair. To AguecheekYou follow Sebastian around a bit and then (feebly) assault him. To your surprise he completely overwhelms you and you drop out in fear and pain. At the end of the dance, you should discuss the significance of each of the characters and their relationship to each other. In particular, you can discuss the significance of Sebastian’s role and his part in bringing about a resolution to the play.
Writing a review This has now become an important element on many syllabii for drama, theatre studies and the Performing Arts. The following is offered as a simple guideline for an effective review Section 1 – The Production This section should refer to the following: the full title of the play and the name of the playwright
the date, time and location of the place you saw this production name of the theatre company the name of the director names of the main characters and actors playing them
Section 2 - Outline of the story and the main characters
This does not need to be lengthy and when the play is well known, it is acceptable to assume that the basic plot and narrative, story, are already known. Section 3 – Evaluation Was the performance effective? What does this mean? It is probably worthwhile considering the following: Was the story clear and convincing for you and the audience in general? Did any moments stand out? If so explain why? What in particular made the moment special? What message do you feel the company were trying to get across to the audience? How successful were they in conveying this theme? Comment on the production elements – remember the performance is the sum total of everything you experience and the set, lighting, sound and effects add to the whole to create an impact and make a show effective. Remember as well to refer to how these elements help or hinder the actors
Section 4 – Performance and Acting Write about the following: Characterisation – How successfully does the actor create the character? Comment on voice and movement – how successful was the actor in the use of these skills? Comment on the use of space, how effective was the actor in using the set and stage? Comment on the communication skills of the actors – how do they relate to each other? And to the audience?
Section 5 – Conclusion Review and decide how successful the production was overall. How impressed were you with it all. Did it sustain the audience’s interest? On balance was it a successful production? Did it work for you – did it make you laugh, cry think? Did you enjoy it? Did it keep your interest and involve you with the characters? Who do you think should see a play like this? Was there anything in it that you’d like to use in your own work sometime in the future?
Production photography © Stephen Vaughan
Credits The Pack was written by Allan Williams – Education Department, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse The Pack was compiled and published by Andrew King – Communications Team- Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Thanks to William Shakespeare for the script and Gemma Bodinetz for the inspirational interpretation A Massive thanks to the Company and the cast of amazing actors who have given freely of their time to make all the wonderful activities happen during the run of this play at the Everyman Theatre. If you have found this pack useful we would really appreciate hearing from you and letting us know how you have used it with your classes. Also if you have any questions relating to the pack please feel free to contact the Education Department via e-mail a.williams@everymanplayhouse.com