Meet Sylvia and Turio, Shakespeare on the Lawn
We recently met up with Year 9 students and a rather special ‘guest’ for Shakespeare On The Lawn rehearsals, as Intern and Old Woodbridgian, Issy Cory, stood in to assist with a scene run-through, in the character of Duke, whom she played when she starred in The Two Gentlemen of Verona when it was first performed on the lawn in 2015.
Joining Year 9’s James and Eva, who play Turio and Sylvia respectively, they all spent time together talking through the scene. Becoming familiar with their own and each other’s characters and motivations, as well as delving deeper into the language, they also looked at the impact of physical movement around the ‘stage’, understanding how this supports the audience’s interpretation of the scene and why it’s so important.
In particular, a chase scene was rehearsed, our students improvising until they came up with a plan of movement, a scene that will no doubt develop and change as they become even more inspired by and confident in their portrayal of their characters.
We spoke to Eva about her character Sylvia, “I was really excited to get the role of Sylvia, I’d been researching the play, and she’s a brilliant character, so I was really pleased to get it. I’ve wanted to be in Shakespeare On The Lawn for so long, I’m really happy to have such a big part.” She continued, “Getting to know her more and more, especially with the help of Miss Mayes and Mr Williams, I actually like her more every time I rehearse! They’ve been able to tell me more than I could ever find on Google – we’re incredibly lucky to have such experts directing and supporting us all.”
She explained that the most challenging part of being part of the production has been the language, “I know I’m not the only person who finds Shakespeare’s use of language challenging, I feel like I know more every time we rehearse.” She laughed as she explained, “I wouldn’t say I’m fluent, but I’m improving every day.” Concluding she said,
“I love acting, this has given me even more opportunity to perform and be involved with our Drama department – I can’t wait to perform!”
Speaking to James about his character Turio, he shared, “When I first got the part my mum and I researched him for hours – I wasn’t quite sure how I felt when I kept finding reference to his character being ‘quite dull’, I thought that meant he would be grumpy and monotone, but I was so wrong. He’s actually a really fun character to play, and spends most of the time being laughed at, which I love about him. I really hope the audience love him as much as I do, and I hope I can make them laugh!”
James admits he too has struggled with the language at times, but that the rehearsals are making an incredible difference, “When you first read, for example, ‘rather feed on your blood’ you can be forgiven for not understanding its context because you interpret it literally, but working with Miss Mayes, Mr Williams and Issy has helped me to understand what many of the lines and much of the language means, and what I should be portraying through my character. I definitely know more about what Shakespeare meant that I ever did before.”
Sharing how he feels about being part of Shakespeare On The Lawn he said,
“I’m so excited about getting to perform with so many other people on the lawn, that’s why I love Drama – I love to collaborate, to be part of a team, to work together, and I know we’re going to be really proud of ourselves and each other.”
The Two Gentlemen of Verona will be performed on our Chapel lawn on Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 July, tickets are now available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/woodbridge-school-drama
