Finding Shakespeare with Alexander J. Gifford

There is no better way to connect to the soul of Shakespeare than through his highly intimate, private poems: the sonnets. In them, we meet the man in his rawest, most vulnerable states, speaking honestly from a heart both uplifted by devotion and down-cast by depression. The journey of these extraordinary 154 poems - though complex and mysterious - is nonetheless the most direct doorway we have to the great playwright’s inner life and, therefore, an invaluable source of inspiration for actors and other theatre-makers.

 

In the session, we will explore the essential, recurring content of Shakespeare’s sonnets as a key to his character and creative output for the stage. We will get in touch with their deeper, psychological layers and learn to speak them in ways that honour both their crystal intellectual arguments and more surging, emotional depths. We will aim to get inside the soul of Shakespeare and speak his words with sincerity, supported by understanding.

 Alexander J Gifford is the Artistic Director of the Marylebone Theatre. Previously, he ran the Gloucester Theatre Company and Peace through the Performing Arts, a theatre-based programme for young people in areas affected by conflict. He trained at DSL and in the Steiner speech method with Peter Bridgmont.