THE POCKET OXFORD THEATRE COMPANY

Transcription

1 THE POCKET OXFORD THEATRE COMPANY Presents Macbeth BASIC WORKPACK Teachers' note: This didactic material consists of pre-show and postshow activities designed to help teachers prepare the students for the experience of watching a piece of theatre in a foreign language. Due to The Pocket Oxford Theatre Company's interactive style and use of audience participation, certain details contained in this show will change over the course of the performance. The characters and plot will remain unaffected.

2 SHAKESPEARE ( ) William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England in His parents were quite rich and he studied Greek and Latin. He married Anne Hathaway in Shakespeare then moved to London to become a playwright and actor with the successful theatre company The Lord Chamberlain's Men.Shakespeare remained with the company until he retired in Shakespeare wrote 37 plays in total and 154 sonnets (lyrical poems of 14 lines). His plays are catagorised into three genres; comedy, tragedy and history plays. 'Macbeth', his shortest tragedy, was written between 1603 and His last play ('The Tempest') being written in Shakespeare was alive during the Elizabethan Era; as Queen Elizabeth I was Britains first female queen, and a supporter of the theatre. Shakespeare died in 1616, aged 52. He is still widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest playwright, although he is often referred to as 'the bard', which simply means the poet. The house in which Shakespeare was born, Stratford-Upon-Avon.

3 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE & ANNE HATHAWAY Anne Hathaway grew up Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Anne married Shakespeare in November 1582 when she was 26 years old; Shakespeare was only eighteen. They had three children and for most of their married life, Shakespeare lived in London writing and performing his plays, while she remained in Stratford. However he returned to Stratford for a period every year and when he retired from the theatre in 1613, he chose to live in Stratford with Anne rather than London. Shakespeare died in 1616, aged 52. Anne Hathaway died in 1623 at the age of 67. Exterior of The Globe Theatre, London

4 Interior of The Globe Theatre, London THEATRES Before the first theatres were built in England, actors travelled around the country in groups known as 'players'. They travelled and performed in wagons and carried portable stages, which the audience would stand around to watch their simple productions, usually based on religious stories. The first purpose-built theatre was erected in 1576 by James Burbage, and simply called 'The Theatre'. Due to its popularity, by 1600 there were a number of playhouses in London. 'The Theatre' was pulled down in 1598 and was rebuilt in a new location and renamed 'The Globe'. This became the theatre where Shakespeare would perform and stage his plays. The Globe was a three-story open air building which could hold up to 3,000 people, thus making theatre in Shakespeare's day as popular by todays standards as a football match or pop concert. Spectators (nicknamed Groundlings) could pay one penny to stand

5 and watch the play or pay two-pence to sit in one of the many galleries. The very rich often paid for a seat on the stage itself. At this time in the theatre there was little or no scenery; the plays were always performed in daylight (as there was no lighting); and there were only basic costumes and props. Women were not allowed to act in the plays, and instead young boys played all the female roles. In 1642, all the theatres in England were closed by the English Parliament, due to pressure from the Puritans. Why the Puritans were against the Globe Theatre? The Globe theatre and its plays were a new idea. The Globe theatre attracted huge crowds - upto 3000 people. The theatres were also used for bear-baiting and gambling. The theatre attracted all types of people, including criminals. Many Puritans, strict religious people, thought that theatres were evil and wanted them all closed. In 1642, under the force of the Puritans, the English Parliament closed the theatres. All actors were to arrested and whipped, and anyone caught watching a play would be fined 5 shillings. The Globe Theatre was pulled down. In 1660 the theatres were reopened, but the Globe theatre would not be rebuilt for another 350 years, not until 1997!

6 EXERCISE; Fill in the blanks with the following words: William / Shakespeare / Hathaway / The Globe / Macbeth / Puritans / The Theatre / Stratford-upon-Avon / players / 2 pence / young boys / 1616 / Elizabeth I / / Shakespeare was married to Anne. 2/ They lived in a place called. 3/ Shakespeare's shortest tragedy was called ' '. 4/ Before theatres were built actors travelled around the country in a wagon and were called. 5/ The first theatre built in England was called. 6/ 'Macbeth' was written between. 7/ In the Elizabethan era women were not allowed to perform on the stage so the female roles were played by. 8/ It cost to sit in the gallery at the theatres. 9/ The theatre that Shakespeare worked at, and part owned, was called. 10/ William died in. 11/ Queen was a great supporter of the theatres during the Rennaisance. 12/ All the theatres were closed down in 1642 by the.

7 TRUE or FALSE? 1. Not many people went to the theatre. 2. Theatres only showed plays. 3. The Puritans were worried that theatres were a bad influence. 4. Puritans thought theatres were educational. 5. After 1642, actors were whipped if they were caught. 6. The Globe theatre was demolished. 7. You cannot visit the Globe Theatre today.

8 TOP 5 FACTS ABOUT QUEEN ELIZABETH I 1. Queen Elizabeth was born 7th September 1533 at Greenwich Palace, London. 2. The father and mother of Queen Elizabeth was the notorious King Henry VIII, and his second wife Anne Boleyn. 3. Queen Elizabeth I died on 24 March 1603 (of blood poisoning) - She was nearly 70 years of age. 4. Queen Elizabeth I reigned for 45 years, from Queen Elizabeth almost died of Smallpox in 1562 and was left with scars on her face - she covered these using the heavy white make-up which was fashionable at the time.

9 QUESTION SHEET 1. Where was Queen Elizabeth I born? 2. Who were her father and mother? 3. How old was Queen Elizabeth I when she died? 4. For how long did Queen Elizabeth I reign? 5. Why did Queen Elizabeth I wear such heavy white make-up?

10 SYNOPSIS of 'MACBETH' by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Macbeth and Banquo are Scottish generals. They have just defeated a rebellion against Duncan, King of Scotland, and returning home they come across three witches. They call Macbeth Thane of Cawdor and king hereafter, and that Banquo will be the father to a long line of Kings. Shortly after this, messengers arrive to tell Macbeth that Duncan has made him Thane of Cawdor, as a reward for his loyal service in battle. Macbeth tells the news to his wife; Lady Macbeth is ambitious to do all she can to make Macbeth king. When Duncan stays at Macbeth s castle, encouraged by Lady Macbeth s ambition and strong personality, Macbeth murders the king. Though some are suspicious of him, he is made king. Macbeth begins to suffer from lack of sleep. He is haunted by the terrible murder he committed, but also still keen to hold on to his power at all costs. He thinks about what the witches said: that

11 Banquo will father a line of kings. So Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo. Later that evening Macbeth and the guests at his castle are sitting down to a banquet; he sees the ghost of murdered Banquo sitting in his place at the table. Only he can see the ghost, however, and in case the guests become suspicious, Lady Macbeth manages to distract the guests, pretending he is having the sort of fit. Macbeth is getting power mad. He goes to see the witches, who tell him first of all, to be careful about Macduff. However the witches make him feel safe by saying that he will never be defeated until Birnam Wood moves to his castle, seemingly impossible. Taking to heart the witches warning, Macbeth decides to kill Macduff, who manages to escape. So Macbeth has Macduff s wife and children murdered. Macduff learns of his families deaths and decides to kill Macbeth and overthrow the cruel tyrant. Macbeth is beginning to be hated and feared by everyone. In the meantime, Lady Macbeth, who has gone mad with guilt, commits suicide. Macduff tells his soldiers each to take a branch from Birnam Wood to act as camouflage as they creep up on Macbeth's castle. Therefore the witches premonition comes true, as the wood moves to the castle. During the final battle Macduff kills Macbeth. Macbeth questions who we are as humans, our morality and whether our destinies are set. The biggest lesson to be gained, naturally, is that every action has a consequence.

12 Related Films; Macbeth (Orson Welles, 1948) Macbeth (Director Roman Polanski, 1971) Macbeth (Director Geoffrey Wright, 2006) Shakespeare Retold BBC Macbeth (James McAvoy, Keeley Hawes)

13 MACBETH - "THE SCOTTISH PLAY" Actors and other theatre people often consider it bad luck to mention Macbeth by name while inside a theatre, and usually refer to it superstitiously as "The Scottish Play" or "MacBee", or when referring to the character and not the play, "Mr. and Mrs. M", or "The Scottish King". This is because Shakespeare is said to have used the spells of real witches in his text, which angered the witches, and causing them to curse the play. Therefore, to say the name of the play inside a theatre is believed to doom the production to failure, and perhaps cause physical injury or death to cast members. A large mythology has built up surrounding this superstition, with countless stories of accidents,

14 misfortunes and even deaths, all mysteriously taking place during runs of Macbeth (or by actors who had uttered the name). Several methods exist to dispel the curse. One example is to spin around three times as fast as possible on the spot, sometimes accompanied by spitting over their shoulder, and uttering an obscenity. Another popular "ritual" is to leave the room, knock three times, be invited in, and then quote a line from 'Hamlet'. SYNOPSIS of 'MACBETH' by The Pocket Oxford Theatre Company The Pocket Oxford's 'Macbeth' is a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's most famous tragedy, and it is presented as a play within a play (a popular Shakespearean technique). Whist Shakespeare is writing his new play, he and his wife Anne Hathaway are employed to manage a restaurant to earn some extra money. However, when William and Anne arrive at the restaurant there are no staff - so they recruit members of the audience to be chefs, waiters and cleaners. Before they know it they are all performing 'Macbeth' themselves, and they have embarked on a tale of deception, blood and murder. The Pocket Oxford Theatre Company takes this traditional Shakespearean play, and makes it fun and relevant to a young, modern audience. Set in current times, using music and dance, and with the help of the students in the audience, 'Macbeth' becomes an exciting and educational journey exploring the themes of greed,

15 corruption and ambition. Welcome to our world... A Big Mac will never taste the same again!! We here at The Pocket Oxford Theatre Company would like to refrain from revealing the rest of the story, in order to keep some elements of surprise for the students...! But you may wonder... How will Macbeth kill Duncan? How much blood will Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have on their hands? How many bodies will the Witches sweep up their broomsticks? And how will Malcolm get his revenge?

16 POST SHOW WORKSHEET QUESTIONS: 1/ Choose 3 words to describe the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. 2/ Choose 3 words to describe the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. 3/ Do you think that Macbeth would have killed Duncan if he were not married to Lady Macbeth?

17 DRAWING AND ACTING; Put the students into groups. Have the students draw, or use collage, to depict their favorite scenes of Macbeth, and write a description of the scene. Each group should then write a section of dialogue for the scene they are illustrating. Finally, ask each group to present their drawing and act out the scene in front of the class.

18 WORD SEARCH; We suggest that the students complete the following word-searches whilst discussing the meaning of each term for a fuller understanding. 1/ Find the following theatre words: Plot / Casting / Actor / Play / Acts / Theatre / Drama Stage / Prop / Globe / Costume / Scene / Set / Part

19 GAME - 'In The Meaning Of The Word' For this game one student (A) must leave the classroom for a couple of minutes. Once the student (A) has left the room, the class or teacher must decide on an adverb. The student (A) then returns to the room and asks the other students (B) to do something 'in the meaning of the word'. For example, "Please can you open the door, in the meaning of the word" or "Please can you clean the blackboard, in the meaning of the word" etc. The student (B) then has to complete the action in the manner of the adverb, and student (A) tries to guess what the adverb is. This continues until student (A) has discovered the correct adverb. This game is intended to develop the student's vocabulary, to explore some of the emotional content within the production and to encourage interaction and develop drama skills...also, it is great fun! Suggested adverbs - angrily, crazily, lovingly, wildly, spookily, insanely, viciously, jealously, manipulatively, clumsily, forcefully, dramatically, impatiently, carefully, fiercely, thoughtfully etc. CREATE A COMMERCIAL Ask groups of students to create and perform an Elizabethan commercial in the style of Macbeth. For example, develop a commercial for a detergent that removes even the most stubborn blood stains, complete with a testimonial from Lady Macbeth.

20 PUZZLE - Can you get Shakespeare to the Palace?

21 AFTER THE PLAY The Pocket Oxford Theatre company hope that the students and teachers have enjoyed the show. We welcome any feedback or suggestions. Any contributions or comments students or teachers would like to make about the production may now be made through our new Facebook page when you befriend us at Pocket Oxford. Please stay in touch! Pocket Oxford are a Professional theatre in Education company that tour throughout Spain. Our current touring productions include 'Romeo and Juliet' and Macbeth. We develop a new production based on a Shakespeare play each academic year, which can be made appropriate for students of all ages. We look forward to visiting and entertaining you again in the future. Please contact us at the address below. Contact; The Pocket Oxford Theatre Company info@factoriacultural.com Tel /