Contestants Pack
Welcome Congratulations on being nominated to represent your school in BBC Off By Heart Shakespeare. Taking part in the regional heats is an achievement to be proud of. At the heats you ll meet experienced actors and directors and lots of young people from other schools in your region. You will leave the heats with a new understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's language and with performance skills that will benefit you throughout your life. We look forward to meeting you at the heat and wish you the best of luck in the contest. The BBC Off By Heart Shakespeare Team. 4 things to bring on the day Signed consent form (You will not be able to take part unless you have this). Snack and drink (which does not contain nuts) Hat and small prop (this is optional) A passport style photograph clearly showing your face (we cannot return this)
What happens on the day? On arrival contestants will be put into groups of about 25 students, each group will experience an Off By Heart workshop. In the workshop, an actor will take you through games and techniques from the world of theatre, designed to change the way you think about Shakespeare. You will not be judged during the workshop; it s all about joining in, learning some new skills, getting to know your fellow contestants and having fun. The atmosphere needs to be safe and supportive, so your attention and good behaviour is required at all times. The audition At some point during the workshop you ll be taken out, along with six or seven other contestants, to perform your speech in front of one another and the judging panel. In the audition room you will be given a very brief warm-up session to relax you. It will be important to show your support for each other by being respectful at all times, but particularly during the auditions. To score highly you need to perform your speech off by heart, but there will be someone in the room to prompt you, should you need it. Try to think of the judges and other contestants in the room as friends who wish you well and want you to give your best. The results The judges will select one winner from each group of 25 to go through to the next stage. Group winners will be filmed at the heat performing their speech a second time. At a later date a judge will watch films of the group winners and decide on nine contestants (one from each day of auditions) who will go forward to compete in the final. If you are selected to go through to the final we will let you know by 15 December 2011. Who are the judges? The judges are professionals from the world of Shakespeare and theatre. Most of them are trained actors and theatre directors and many are experienced in working with young people.
Preparing for the workshop On the next few pages there are some short extracts from famous Shakespearean plays. In the workshop, actors will show you how to bring these lines to life. Before the heat please read each extract a couple of times, just so you are familiar with the words. You don t need to learn them, or even understand what they mean - all will become clear in the workshop! Remember, you won t be judged on anything that happens in the workshop. Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks! I am thy father's spirit, Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night, And for the day confined to fast in fires, Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away. Halloo your name to the reverberate hills And make the babbling gossip of the air Cry out 'Olivia!' O, You should not rest Between the elements of air and earth,
Foul devil, for God's sake, hence, and trouble us not; For thou hast made the happy earth thy hell, Fill'd it with cursing cries and deep exclaims. O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face! Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave? Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical! Dove-feather'd raven! wolvish-ravening lamb! Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies, Yet now they fright me. There is one within, Besides the things that we have heard and seen, Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch. A lioness hath whelped in the streets; And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead; Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds, In ranks and squadrons and right form of war, Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol; The noise of battle hurtled in the air, Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan, And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets. O Caesar! these things are beyond all use, And I do fear them. Calpurnia, Julius Caesar
JULIET: O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love And I'll no longer be a Capulet. 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name. What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself. ROMEO: I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo. JULIET: What man art thou that thus bescreened in night So stumblest on my counsel? ROMEO: By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am. My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself Because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written, I would tear the word.
Frequently Asked Questions What should I wear? You can wear school uniform or your own clothes. Costumes are not allowed, but you can bring one small prop and a hat if you wish. Props and hats are optional, you will only be judged on your performance, not what you bring along. Can I bring food? Yes, please bring a snack and a drink. Please make sure that your snack does not contain nuts, as some students participating have nut allergies. Will the person dropping me off be able to stay in the workshop and watch my performance? No. To be fair to everyone taking part we are not allowing adults to come into the regional heat. We ask them to stay for registration and pick you up at the end. However, if there is a special reason for you to have support during the workshop we will need to agree this in advance, so please ask your teacher to email us: offbyheart@bbc.co.uk What is the prize? The nine finalists will take part in a documentary for BBC Two. They will work with a voice and movement coach from the Royal Shakespeare Company, to help them develop their performance and understanding of Shakespeare. The overall winner will be crowned Schools Shakespeare Champion and will receive 500 in book tokens for their school. Will I be on the TV? There is a chance that we will be filming at some of the regional heats. If you are selected as one of the nine finalists you will be invited to take part in filming for a documentary. When is the final? The final will take place in Stratford-Upon-Avon on the RST stage, on Sunday 29th January 2012 at 3pm. Don t forget! Please don t forget to bring along your signed consent form. You will not be able to take part unless you have this with you at registration.