THE REAL KING LEAR.

THE REAL KING LEAR? THE SHAKESPEARE IN QUARANTINE ALL ALONG

Or, My Journey With Shakespeare

At the start of the national lockdown in the UK, many a comparison was between our current pandemic and the times of plague and the like that Shakespeare lived through. Like in the present day, the theatres were closed for Shakespeare - partly as a preventative measure, partly because the religious society of the day did not wish to further provoke an already angry God by being idle. One comparison that came out was a buzz of tweets proclaiming how ‘Shakespeare wrote King Lear during quarantine! What will you do?’’ Some as part of the distressing idea that we must be so productive and impressive despite the depressing and awful situation, some as a joke regarding those sorts of tweets. Regardless, they came out. Now, months on, and back in a second national lockdown...I haven’t written my King Lear, though I’ve made some progress on my novel. But I think something bright, immense, and beautiful has happened even so. Maybe the majestic King Lear of this quarantine, for me, isn’t a long-standing play that delves so intensely into humanity. For me, it’s something that isn’t so tangible, but deeply personal, and to me, profound. Shakespeare wrote King Lear, and in return, we gave his memory astounding digital theatre, opening it up to anyone, making it a pastime for so many. But this behemoth effort, of so many interconnecting outputs that always contain a heart at the centre of them, have given me a flicker of understanding about my own life. I’ve always struggled to know a direction in my life that feels achievable (English and History degree, everyone!). Recent years have taught me that I want to write, and act, and that I have a joy for academia for I struggle with the academic system at times. Something clicked, though, during this year of quarantining. Something that felt so right. That thing was Shakespeare. And all this - that’s my King Lear.

It’s time for a quick rewind before we start on quarantine, though. The earliest memories of getting into Shakespeare briefly came from high school. There was the first time I watched any of my now favourite film, Romeo + Juliet by Baz Luhrmann during a supply teacher in England. We didn’t watch much, but that opening scene is branded in mind all the same. There was briefly studying A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Year Eight. Studying Much Ado About Nothing in Year Nine. Seeing my first live Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale. It all started to slowly brandish a love within me but it wasn’t ever given the chance to flourish in the way it now does. The most impactful big moment in the journey so far, though, had to be when my GCSE years came along. By that point, I’d already developed a determined love and passion for Romeo and Juliet, and we were going to study it. We were lucky in our GCSE English Literature that, rather than the past years of teachers reading the play to us, we got to read the play. It was nothing big. It was just reading the play from our seats. Minimal effort from anyone. Not many people put their hand up for roles, but I sat with anxiety, and my hand went up like a shot when she asked who wanted to read Juliet.

I got to read her.

We didn’t do all of the scenes, and it was stretched out reading over a few months. But I still prepped, practising in the mirror at home and in my room, determined to give it my all. No one else really put much effort in, but I tried. I’d always adored acting but, as someone who couldn’t sing, I’d never really been cast in anything. People laughed, a little, and my social anxiety kicked in, though. It was hard enough to try amongst peers who had never been that good to me, let alone being the only one giving any effort. Still, I tried. The teacher stopped me at the end of one class to mention about my Juliet being good. It was mentioned as beautiful on my school report, and mentioned at parents evening. Juliet has become a dream role of mine since around the time before we started to study, and those words remained a seed in mind, always telling me that despite being let down by the negative treatment my experiences with high school Drama had given me...I did have something. Anyway. I still never got super into it, though I adored Romeo and Juliet. I saw a few Hamlet performances, such as the RSC production, in preparation for A-Level studies, only for us to study The Tempest instead. I really got into studying it, falling in love with the text. University came around and we did a brief Shakespeare module - tragically cut short by the pandemic. A particular highlight, though, was the one acting related thing we did. It was more Marlowe than Shakespeare, learning some elements of stage-fighting and acting out some Tamburlaine scenes, but damn. Once more, I was given the small sparks that I could do this, when the people in my group were actually impressed with my skills. An added bonus was my supposedly very convincing reactions to being on the receiving end of fight choreography, people thinking I’d actually been hit.

The smallest seeds. The smallest, minute sparks, that might seem so trivial to most. They were huge for me, though. And they take me to quarantine. I’m sorry it took so long to build to this, but I want it to stand as my personal journey so far. And it deserves the prior as well as the present.

ACT ONE: READ FOR THE GLOBE:

I signed up to this with trepidation and thrill, seeing it on my dash. The chance to act! It was exciting, all things considered, as someone who had never managed to get much experience, as much as I had yearned to. In the end, I got cast in Cymbeline, and Henry V. My first chance to explore into the broader sides of Shakespeare - Cymbeline is a point of controversy, one could say, even. I was anxious about settling down to do it - especially as I knew my parents would be watching some of it. I was given the role of Posthumus, and as the play was fairly new to me, it was a partial struggle to get to grips. It didn’t help that I didn’t have the foresight to split screen, meaning I was reading from my phone, meaning that...I didn’t manage to connect so well to giving a full performance. Looking back, I’m really not proud of my performance there, but at least, to me, it shows my growth in acting Shakespeare in so rapid a time without any training. But it turned out my parents, my siblings, and further relatives? They’d sat down and watched my scenes live, and they were impressed. I’ve raved about wanting to act for a while to them, but they’d never really seen me do so. Turns out though, they finally did, and in this weak performance, they were proud, and had faith in me. More than I even have in myself. Something was beginning to blossom into a flower.

ACT TWO: 14TH NIGHT PLAYERS:

This is it. This is the place I owe too much to. If the other things started seeds of growth and blossoming flowers, this place is a bountiful forest, a flourishing garden. Forests in Shakespeare can often be seen as a place of magic, of comfort, where anything is possible and where peace can settle amongst outer courtly strife. They are my Forest of Arden, with wild bears strolling amongst red and white flowers, rosemary for remembrance, peanuts sprouting from the soil, in a location that goes completely against known geography. For those who don’t know them, they are a company of players who audio-read Shakespeare four times a week, including plays such as The Two Noble Kinsmen, Edward III, Pericles, and even the long-lost Shakespeare plays of ‘Cardenio’, ‘Chernobyl Kinsmen’, and ‘Love’s Labour’s Won’. The latter three being rare, one night only performances. Currently in their fourth cycle of reading the plays, the most exciting and wonderful part of this warm-hearted, eclectic community, is their policy on joining. Anyone can join. Anyone can act. I found out about them when I was followed during Read For The Globe, and I’m unbelievably glad I found my way to them in the end. Months on, I’ve read in every Shakespeare play bar two, and I’ve read some multiple times. Throughout, my spark of love for Shakespeare has become a blazing display of fireworks rampant in the air. Given the chance, I was able to act, explore characters, learn fascinating content through Dramaturgy, and it’s been a blast. In an audio-only environment, the opportunity to act so often and in such a versatile style, I was finally able to feel like I could embrace myself as an actress, and hone my skills. No pressure. No experience needed. Just join and turn up to the casting that happens before each play - just yell the part you want, and so long as it’s not uncontested, it’s yours for the read that night. I’ve had wild times there. Emotional times. Beautiful, brilliant, hilarious, heartbreaking, full-of-love times. They make anyone feel capable and loved.

I could ramble for hours on my sheer love for each aspect of it, each individual legend within, each individual show I’ve read, each character I’ve played. They’re truly something special.

ACT THREE: VIEW FROM THE AUDIENCE:

I’ve tried to act, despite being an amateur actress with no credits or training to her name, join in with theatre in lockdown where I could. But I’ve also been a watcher of it, a digital audience member. Coming as an audience member to things has become far easier following acting in the plays like through 14th Night Players, which gave me the understanding of it in a deeper manner by having read through them as part of them - all plays unabridged. My most frequent way of being an audience member has been through the release of pro-shoots of plays in light of COVID-19. BBC IPlayer has a gorgeous selection of both The Globe and Royal Shakespeare Company plays that I made my way through. From there, I realised my fortune at discovering BritBox. Normally, I wouldn’t have subscribed, but hidden treasure lies within; They have a collection of over 20 pro-shoots of Royal Shakespeare Company plays. I don’t have the best concentration level for watching, but I’m making my way through them with eager eyes. To be able to watch these stunning productions from the comfort of my own home, knowing I won’t be able to see them live as they are productions of years past, has been a marvel. I’m analysing as I go along, on how they’re styled and set, and of course, using the masterclass performances given as my own masterclass training on the side. Then there’s The Globe, which offers former productions on Globe Player. I’ve not been able to indulge much in these yet, but even so- it’s so remarkable to have these available in some way or another. I know that I won’t always be able to act in Shakespeare, especially as we shift to live theatre again, but these have founded a want in me to watch, watch, watch! All I know is that I yearn to rush to The Globe or Royal Shakespeare Theatre the moment they open to perform once more.

A note also must go out to the way there is an outpouring of Zoom Theatre content. I’ve been more focused on offerings like pro-shoots, but Zoom Theatre has become wider spread. Offerings like The Show Must Go Online, now performing the final play of the First Folio on this day have provided available to watch whenever online Shakespeare, giving recorded versions of lesser-known plays, with a commitment to imagining Shakespeare in the light of 2020 and our present day, whilst also sticking to the original text and plot. New plays like The Radical Politics of Romeo and Juliet by Finch Clayton utilise the Zoom medium to present an insightful and current play through the lens of Shakespeare’s famed play.

ACT FOUR: #INFAIRZOOM AND ZOOM VENTURES:

Trying to enter into Zoom Shakespeare was both a chance to create some visual art, whilst also testing myself. I was fortunate to stumble into a few open zoom auditions for people like me- students and the like, who don’t have CV’S or anything like Spotlight, but wanted to participate in the growing Zoom Theatre movement. I auditioned for a few Shakespeare ones, and, in the point I’m in now, I’m fortunate enough to say that the seeds were able to blossom into flowers that only continued to grow stronger. Getting actually cast in three productions made me realise that there is something strong in terms of acting within me, especially within the field of Shakespeare that I’ve grown to love so greatly. As it sadly happens, all the shows were cancelled before rehearsals started for any- yet I know that I am capable, and I’m so proud of the fact I got in.

One day I’d love to be directed in a production, but I’ve at least managed to put on a semi-cold read of Romeo and Juliet known as #InFairZoom. This was an effort in which we planned alone, practiced alone, only to come together with no prior read together of the show to perform. It went flawlessly near enough, and despite no preparation together, the cast gelled so well together, and were accompanied by a feast of costumes, blood, fights, and more. I was so proud to have brought it together, and the connectivity and strength it brought was beautiful.

ACT FIVE: PRECIPICE OF A FUTURE:

So here we reach the now. Looking back at the past with a wonder and awe at the rapid growth and experience the past year has granted me, knowing I want to take it further, both at an academic and acting level. You see, this has been a bit of an information drop, and a bit of a ramble, but to me, this story, and all the others like mine, show us what that big theatrical achievement in quarantine has been. It hasn’t been a singular play or even a few singular plays that will be renowned for so many years onwards. It’s a multitude of stars that thrive beating in our hearts. It’s so many chances, so much creativity, so many interweaving footsteps of theatre made virtual, and all the hearts that have found themselves in that. It’s the fact I was finally able to find that one special spark that I have faith in myself to pursue, that combines my love of acting, and my academic studies.

It’s Shakespeare living on in the then and now.

It’s the man who wrote timeless stories of what it means to be human, letting us feel that still.

I don’t know where my journey with Shakespeare will take me next. Whether I’ll stumble into more chances or not. But I know this- I am thankful. And this year has been transformative in that.

An Update: One major thing has happened in my life regarding Shakespeare recently. During a short period of time, perhaps a week or so, whilst trying to work on assignments, I accidentally wrote a play. It's called 'This Lady Doth Protest', and I turned the tables and made Shakespeare my muse. It's a play about Shakespeare, and about women, and this outpouring that feels like my love letter to all his works has been met with love by those who've read it. It's a good feeling, and makes me only want to continue in the direction of studying and performing his works further.