ASC Education

A mature and powerful performance of Macbeth today from our 12-16 year olds. Thank you to all involved in this epic school holiday program.

Hurry, only a few places left for our SYD workshops!
Give your kids a fun-filled week exploring the dynamic relationships between some of Shakespeare's best characters!

LIMITED PLACES REMAINING | BOOK NOW: https://bit.ly/3xlRIZ2

A Midsummer Night's Dream
"Thank you, the audience participation was magical!"
Great feedback from the Head of English at Strathcona Girls Grammar .

Is this a dagger I see before me...

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
VCE Level
Tailored to the VCE English/EAL syllabus and targeted to address VATE essay prompts, our Much Ado About Nothing session takes a deep dive into one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies and the relationship between one of the most beloved romantic couples of all time. Through the performance of key scenes, we examine the contrast between the setting of sunny Messina, with its party atmosphere delighting in language, wit, banter and revelry, with the play’s darker elements. Discussion throughout teases out the tantalising ambiguities of the work. Does it celebrate or condemn trickery and deliberate deception? Does it approve of male dominance over the female body or is it a work of proto-feminism, championing strong women and gender equality in a battle-of-the-sexes type dynamic? Is it mocking or supporting bro culture and toxic masculinity? Does it treat marriage as the ultimate goal or look down its nose at it? Is Shakespeare using comedy as merely a veil in order to slip in some observations of the darker, more ugly aspects of humanity and its social structures? Guaranteed to engage students through phenomenal performances and rigorous debate, this 90-minute extended session is certain to encourage students to think outside the box, enabling them to write stronger, non-binary essay responses.

PLAY ON: AN INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE

A riotous 1 hour introduction to the words, worlds and works of The Bard, this fast paced interactive show is perfect for upper Primary and lower Secondary students. Featuring Bottom and Titania’s unlikely romantic encounter from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, the beautiful balcony scene from ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Macbeth’s infamous banquet and the fatal final duel from ‘Hamlet’.https://shakespeareaustralia.com.au/incursions/play-on-shakespeare-melbourne

Play On: An Introduction to Shakespeare presented by Australian Shakespeare Company for Y8 Drama students Chisholm Catholic College.

From rehearsing in the park to performing in the classroom. Macbeth for Y10 The King David School. Such an enthusiastic group of young people. Thank you for having us.

Our Magic & Mayhem school holiday workshops are very magical indeed Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

School holiday fun at Royal Historical Society of Victoria! One 10 year said:
“I could express myself without feeling any judgement."
How good is that?

Modern acting techniques can reignite Shakespeare. The well-rounded characters of Shakespeare share the same human qualities we do, the same ambitions, flaws and desires, just set in a modern world. Stanislavski, Meisner, Strasberg and Stella Adler are just a few of the many practioners that try to formulate a method to enable actors to portray reality on the dramatic stage. Here at ASC Education we deep dive into all possible resources available to us to help us bring life to the work of the Bard. Here is an example of Adler's acting guide:

https://www.acting-school-stop.com/stella-adler/

The Stella Adler Acting Technique - Acting Guide Stella Adler believed that an actor’s talent lies with his imagination. This theater and film actress turned acting teacher trained with Stanislavsky and studied the method, but didn’t believe that an actor needs to relive past experiences to connect with the play. Through years of teaching, she...

Wonderful feedback from Ilim College
"This term, our Year 9 students studied none other than Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice. To complement the text study, students welcomed a performance of key scenes of the play by Australian Shakespeare Company. The performance served as a visual aid in enhancing students’ appreciation of the performative elements of the play, and analysing the underlying messages of the story. Students were delighted to see a play that they had been studying, delivered to them live."
(Ms Enise, Ilim College)

Play On: An Introduction to Shakespeare for Y6 at The King David School.
"Engaging and compelling!" said one staff member and "FUN!" added a student. Mission accomplished.

Thank you for having us Ilim College for a deep dive into Macbeth, starring Adam Perkins as Macbeth, Lizzie Brennan as Lady Macbeth, and Andrew Cullimore as Banquo and Macduff. It's always fun lifting the script off the page and onto the stage.

Celebrating a wonderful week of fun with our junior age group who completed their production of The Comedy of Errors in just 6 days! Congratulations, what an achievement.

A ticket made by an 11 year old for their showcase. How professional is that!?

PLAY IN A WEEK THE COMEDY OF ERRORS is going very well. The children are loving their 'Clown- the red nose' workshop.

Stealing, I mean sharing, this post from Shakespeare's Globe. An interesting fact is Shakespeare's play: Twelfth Night, refers to the twelfth night of Christmas, which was a celebration with a temporary suspension of rules and social status.
"As in the play, Twelfth Night revels in the overturning of convention and general merriment. In the Church of England, the Twelfth Night (or the eve of the Epiphany) was celebrated on January 5th, when celebrants sang songs, defaced doors with chalk, and ate Three Kings’ or Twelfth Night cake. One of the most popular Twelfth Night traditions was to hide a pea and a bean within the cake. The man who discovered the bean would be proclaimed Lord or King of Misrule, while the lady who found the pea would be Lady or Queen of Misrule. The Lord of Misrule was usually a peasant or commoner who lead the drinking and debauchery, as Twelfth Night was one of the few times of the year where servants were allowed to mix with their masters, sometimes even switching roles through disguises or by virtue of the coveted bean."
Source: https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/twelfthnight/context/historical/what-does-twelfth-night-refer-to/

All together now...
"And a bear to pursue us offstage" 🐻

The 12 Days of Christmas, but make it Shakespeare.

ONLINE SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN
There are still places available ONLINE during the first week of 2022 for our 'Play in a Week' school holiday program.

‘Play in a Week’ is an epic four-day investigation into the world of The Comedy of Errors, exploring the plot, themes, characters, historical context, and contemporary relevance. On the final day we will record the selected work so participants can share their acting skills with family and friends.

A variety of acting methodologies and techniques are employed by working company practitioners. There is character analysis and work on unlocking Shakespeare’s language (iambic pentameter, verse, and prose etc) and an emphasis on play and games, which creates a fun and supportive environment, showcasing expressive skills and developing confidence. This 45-minute abridged version of the original text includes key scenes and monologues, and the complexity and intensity of the content is tailored to suit the age and experience of participants.

It will be fun, fabulous and epic.
https://www.shakespeareaustralia.com.au/classes/online-play-in-a-week-the-comedy-of-errors

Workshops and Classes - ONLINE: PLAY IN A WEEK – THE COMEDY OF ERRORS ZOOM - 4th - 7th January -

Australian Shakespeare Company and Howard Fine Acting Studio Australia team up to deliver a series of inspirational Shakespeare workshops via Zoom over the next 3 weeks.

Thank you BBC. Over 900 Shakespeare adaptations! https://era.org.uk/shakespeare-archive/

BBC Shakespeare Archive Resource - Educational Recording Agency This is the new home for the BBC Shakespeare Archive Resource. Play over 900 programmes from the BBC’s archive of Shakespeare’s plays, poems and sonnets. Please register for access to the Archive.

Did you know the Lion King is loosely based on Hamlet? https://screenrant.com/best-movies-based-shakespeare-plays/

9 Movies You Didn't Know Were Based On Shakespeare's Work Shakespeare's vast oeuvre has served as inspiration for moviemakers since time immemorial, but some of the movies on this list may surprise you.