Owning Shakespeare

Bridgerton’s Lady Danbury herself, Adjoa Andoh joins the pod to explore Richard III’s father, Richard of York in Act 1 Scene 3 of Henry VI part II. Over the course of their exploration, they discuss the musicality of text, the presence of racialised language around the character of Margaret, the tragedy of the Grenfell fire in the UK, and how to bring the audience along for the ride.

Join the conversation with #ownshx and tag @robmyles or @TSMGOnlineLive on Twitter

Content warning: some strong language

Founder of Harlem Shakespeare Festival and Artistic Director of Southwest Shakespeare Festival Debra Ann Byrd plumbs the depths of Richard III’s speech in Act 4 Scene 4 of Richard III. Taking an outside-in approach, touching on the practice of ‘dropping in’, and how to appeal to the audience while focusing on the character on stage.

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Content warning: some strong language, references to nudity, child loss

Veteran of Broadway & Shakespeare In The Park Miguel Perez is here to find opportunities for comedy, pathos and relationship drama in a forensic exploration of the Nurse’s speech to Lady Capulet in Act 1 Scene 3 of Romeo & Juliet. Discussing the Nurse’s influence on Juliet, and the influence of Mark Rylance, Patrick Stewart and others on Miguel, the episode notably features a first for the season: a read of the speech in the style of Monty Python.

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Content warning: some strong language

Co-Artistic Director of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, actor-writer-director-raconteur and veteran host of the Reduced Shakespeare Podcast Austin Tichenor is on the pod to interrogate Henry IV’s incendiary speech to Hal in Act 3 Scene 2 of Henry IV Part I. Featuring hot takes on Shakespearean acting tics, the tipping points at the heart of the plays, and how to confidently switch things up on the night.

Join the conversation with #ownshx and tag @robmyles or @TSMGOnlineLive on Twitter

Content warning: some strong language, discussions of racism, single use of the N word (quoted in context)

Black working class hero and veteran of the RSC, TV and Hollywood Paterson Joseph joins Rob to examine Shylock’s speech in Act 1 Scene 3 of The Merchant of Venice. Together, they discuss the place of Shakespeare’s problematic plays in 2022, performing emotionally intense scenes without overplaying, and Paterson’s experiences at the RSC and beyond.

Join the conversation with #ownshx and tag @robmyles or @TSMGOnlineLive on Twitter

Content warning: some strong language

Award-winning Queer actor, theatremaker, drag performer and festival organiser Isabel Adomakoh Young kicks off our textploration sessions with a deep dive into Cleopatra’s speech in Act 1 Scene 5 of Antony & Cleopatra. Over the course of the exploration, we discuss gourmet hors d'oeuvres, dunking on Pompey The Great, Cleopatra navigating racism and misogyny, and when is an O more than an O?

Join the conversation with #ownshx and tag @robmyles or @TSMGOnlineLive on Twitter

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

On Owning Shakespeare, every episode sees a different text detective take a deep dive into a different Shakespeare speech. The mission: to unlock the creative opportunities embedded in the text, and wield these discoveries in performance. Discover the craft and graft of acting Shakespeare, with insights and anecdotes from theatre luminaries and exciting new talents alike.