Shared on behalf of Michael Spencer for community interest
Written 400 years ago, Shakespeare’s Hamlet is often viewed as the ultimate achievement for professional actors and theatre makers. However, the play looks at aspects of life which are common to us all: wanting to meet the expectations of our parents, the pain of love, desire for revenge, intransigence, regret, hopelessness and acceptance of who we are.
I want to stage the play with people who are interested in these things but are not actors and who may never have taken part in a performance. How we tell the story and reveal these common emotions will be up to the people who want to take part – The People’s Hamlet. No auditions, no limit on age or number of participants. No barriers.
First, workshops will develop improvisation skills. Improvisation has no experts. There is no such thing as failure. It is about play, positivity and trust. It’s fun. Then we will use what the group can offer to tell our version of Shakespeare’s play, in whatever way we feel is best to tell it today.
If you are an individual, would you be interested in being part of a creative team of local people who work over a period of months to develop and ultimate present their Hamlet in a public showing? Or, if you are a local community organisation, might you be interested in being a partner in order to, for example, refer people in your organisation to this project? If so, please respond to this call out or to me directly on mikeyspen@btinternet.com with comments or suggestions
Thank you.
Michael Spencer
(Bought up in Grays and left in 1980 to pursue a career in theatre. Designed over 50 professional UK productions and went on to run performance making courses at Central Saint Martin’s College in London).