Grumio Speaks.

It's all well and good having a back-story, I hear you say, but what if two characters, that spend time on stage together, that have some sort of 'history', have back-stories that don't gel. Won't that cause confusion?
Yes..and no. Maybe.
Nothing's as simple as that: as in life, so in the world of the back-story!
A back-story is there to help the actor answer those actor's questions (see Rich's entry 'Petruchio - What's In A Backstory') and give the actor a foundation to build his characterisation upon. It's about thinking how a person might react to any given situation, taking in to account his/her history.
Conversely, if two people who have a 'history' have wildly differing back-sotries, there maybe a conflict between their reactions to any given situation, so it would obviously be helpful if their 'histories' had a degree of similarity at certain key points. 
There should be similarities, for instance, between Katherina's back-story and Bianca's; Tranio and Lucentio (who, in some ways, mirror Petruchio and Grumio) should likewise have major points in their back-stories that meet and agree.
But the great thing about this back-story thing, as Jilly so rightly observed, is that nobody can tell you you're wrong! 
It's your back-story, your thoughts on what has gone before to make the character the way s/he is.
Grumio is Petruchio's manservant and comrade-in-arms, so using the above 'formula', they needs must have points in their stories that agree. 

Grumio's Tale

Well, it was a happy ending eventually, but it’s taken him twenty odd years to get there; and I’ve been with him, behind him and beside him pretty much every step of the way…including that nasty little skirmish with that other lot that cost him most of his mates and a good percentage of his men.

Then my old master, his father, Antonio up and died. It’s not been a good few years, I can tell you.

Haven't got any pictures of Grumio rehearsing yet, so this will have to do.
Me doing the pointy-thing, directing 2013's 'King Lear'

Here’s the thing though. My old man served Antonio all his life and I was there, not much more than a lad myself, when Petruchio was born. So I’ve sort of looked out for him since the day he could walk. Both our Mothers died around the same time and when my father died (too hammered to get out the ditch he fell into on the way back from the inn – silly sod drowned in three inches of water) Antonio kept me on, gave me the old man’s cottage and told me to stay and keep the grounds like dad had done. And of course, Petruchio was there, waddling, then running and playing, then strutting and fawning, then actually growing up (a bit) and starting to take on the job of running his father’s estate and farms. Then came the war.

Antonio knew his son wanted to go (Trooch – s’what I called him when he was younger – was always a hot head when he was around eighteen or so. The fights I’ve broken up with some of the estate lads don’t bear thinking about!) so he bought him a commission and off young Trooch went to war. And me along with him.  Well Antonio needed somebody with a sensible head on his shoulders (so Antonio said anyway) to keep an eye on him. But he turned out to be a good soldier. Made a lot of mates and his men loved him.

We had some scrapes; but then he lost the Flagoneers.  That’s what he called the troop…they all carried their leather flagons that he’d brought em, with their names on em. That’s when I really needed to keep an eye on him. He resigned his commission and headed back to the estate.

Didn’t seem to do much else but drink n wench for a while, but then he started to come round a bit, although he was always angry. He’d turn on a sous before he went away, but now? I stopped him getting killed back at home more times than he’d been in danger during the war! 

Just when you think you’re getting out of the thickest part of the forest, eh? Antonio upped and died.

By a-lakin I tried, by my sainted ol’ mum I did, but after that, on top of everything else, he just went mad. Drinkin’, spendin’ money like there was no tomorrow…and fightin’? I’ll show you the scars if you like. No, my scars. So I sat him down one time, one of the rare times he was actually sober, and gave him the sort of talking to his old dad might have done, in the old days. Cuffed him round the head too. He cried. I cried. He punched me. I belted him again; told him he wasn’t so big or so ugly as I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, if he needed it. Well, it seemed to work. But it sorta changed our relationship a bit. Became more master and servant, if you follow, but I can still take liberties sometimes. We don’t talk about that much anymore.

Still directing...up at the castle with the Bedlam Beggars, rehearsing.

Time passed and eventually there comes the day when Claudio Ferrini comes to call…he’s the family lawyer y’know. Him and Trooch’re cloistered up for hours. Ferrini comes out the house and I’m accidently weeding round the borders. He calls me over, puts an arm round me shoulder and we walked down the drive to where his carriage’s waiting. He might be a bit of an arse, but old Ferrini’s got Trooch’s best interests at heart. Didn’t make pleasant listening, I can tell you.

Anyway, the upshot was that the estate was so close to going bust that Trooch was going have to either flog the family silver and the lands (pissed it all up the wall basically) to be able to actually keep the house. Ol’ Ferrini suggested that we might take a sabbatical, maybe to Firenza or Padua, and maybe I could have a talk to the lad. As he was getting into the coach, Ferrini also said that he’d mentioned to Trooch that he might want to think about finding himself a wife with a dowry. Honestly? My first thought was ‘Oh shit, here we go again!’

Ferrini talking about Padua got me to thinking about our old mate from the army days, old Hortensio. 

So I suggested – I can be subtle when the mood takes – that Trooch n I pay Hortensio a surprise visit. I sort of hoped that Hortensio might be able to talk some sense into Trooch, y’know? Seems now that it was probably Hortensio that needed some sense pummelling into him.

It would seem that Trooch needed money more than Ferrini was letting on. I was sort of hoping that we’d go to Padua, sort it all out somehow then head home so I could tend to me own bit of romantic business. Columbina’s a mouthy tart, but she’s got a heart of gold…among other things, if you catch me drift!

Now, everything seems to be on an even-keel, but then? I tell you, I was wishing we’d never heard of the Minola’s, let alone that hell-cat that was old Baptista’s eldest daughter: Katherina. She was the female of version of him!!

Suffice to say I helped as much as I could, but it wasn’t easy. And then there was all that set-to with those other clowns and Minola’s youngest daughter, Bianca. That’s where Hortensio needed a bloody good slap! It got more complicated than one of them courtly dances you see at weddings.

But as we started in on his plan – although I couldn’t see just how you could tame a gobby, stroppy cow like Kate – he started to change. I mean, it all hinged on him getting a decent dowry, which he did, but as we got further along the road, he seemed to change. And so did she. I like to think I helped a little.

It’s all worked out in the end though. Trooch n I are back on a civil path, I know where I stand and so does he, she’s a bloody angel in comparison, I’m back home copping grief from her in doors and Trooch n Kate are off testing the strapping and horsehair mattress in some inn or other as they tour round on their honeymoon. Oh yeah! And he won twenty thousand crowns as well as the dowry, so looks like the old homestead’s as safe as it’s likely to be. Old Antonio’d be proud of us!

Nice hair cut!

And that, as they say, is that: Grumio, giving you (and Petruchio, Hortensio et al) an idea as to why he does what he does and gets away with it!

More back-stories and up-dates from the front-line as and when they happen.

If you want more information about us as a company, or the things we've done in the past, or intend to do in the future, have a look at our web-site:

www.theinntheatrecompany.co.uk

Loads more stuff there, including some truly spectacular photographs that out friend Keith Gould takes every year - not only of rehearsals but the actual production too. Well worth a look.

Tranio Speaks!

We've been lucky enough to see some of the processes that an actor goes through, to get into the skin of a character, by reading a some of the back-stories created by Rich and Jilly for Petruchio and Katherina.
The amount of detail they put on paper is a matter of personal choice; if it helps them create the person they're playing, then it works.

Ben Hamilton, who last year gave such a memorable performance as Edmund in 'King Lear', has a vastly different task this year: playing servant (Tranio) and master (Lucentio) whilst trying to deceive Baptista and...you know what? This is the back-story that Ben's written for himself and that he's been generous enough to share with us. It will give you an idea of the lengths to which this year's cast are going to get it all right. And look out for the lovely little touches that Ben uses, referencing other plays by Will, to help him place his character.

Biondello, the Merchant and Tranio (or is it Lucentio?), plotting away.

Tranio's Tale

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tranio Da Silva and this is the tale of how I find myself within Padua this day.

          Born the only son of Martha and Mario Da Silva, in the mighty Italian city of Genoa, I lived a charmed childhood, growing up in a villa over-looking the mighty harbor. With its fleets of merchant ships, there I watched them plying their trade to all corners of the empire and dreamed one day of venturing forth to find new lands. Things however did not go according to my dreams, but more of that later; first I feel a brief history of my upbringing is required.

          As I mentioned, my father is one Mario Da Silva and he along with his brother, my uncle, Luigi Da Silver, were the joint founders of the great Waylandie Sail-makers. The Waylandie Sail-makers were considered one of the best, if not the finest, sail makers in all of Italy and beyond. It was said that a ship rigged with sails from the Da Silva brothers was a good omen and would bring you a prosperous voyage. Rumour has it that the long lost Duke, Prospero, was returned from the great seas in a ship rigged with those very sails.

          My mother was also skilled with needle and thread, but more so on creations more delicate than the meters of sail required for a galleon. Martha was a young prodigy of the dress maker Elli Phantios, engaged by royalty and nobility alike to create wondrous gowns. It is said her hands were as delicate as the very silk she snipped and trimmed and sewed. She was also good at imitations and at parties would regale her friends with her almost perfect mimicry. Father always said I took after her. I never knew my mother though. Tragedy struck when I was very little. At only 2 years old, she was taken from me. I was never told the true cause, only that she had been very ill. The sense of loss was overwhelming, as if this huge pit of emptiness opened and threatened to swallow me whole. 

Ben being...Ben!

I thank the gods daily that I was spared from this fate, for it was some months after this that I was introduced to the young son of one of my father’s clients: the Lord Vincentio. Well known as one of the most prominent merchants in all of Italy, with a large fleet of ships, he was a regular visitor to my Father and Uncles. So much so that there would be the occasional evenings where he would dine with them and play a hand or two of cards. On these evenings, I would be entertained at his lodgings, becoming the playmate to his only son, Lucentio. Being several years older it was always seen, I assume, that he was to be some sort of guiding influence upon me. Again, it never worked out that way.

          It turned out that Lucentio was quiet the trouble maker, always creating schemes and half baked ideas. I had many a happy time assisting and even, I must admit, coaxing him on. Sadly tragedy was never far away. At the age of only 6 my uncle Luigi was murdered. Run through the chest with a rapier by a disgruntled French captain, who claimed the sails made for his ship were inferior to the other Italian ship berthed. Uncle Luigi argued that they were not, and a fight broke out. The Captain escaped justice but it seems we had the last laugh, for his ship, rigged with shoddy sail, it is reported, split in two off the coast of Illyria.

          Father was a broken man. For hours he would howl at the injustice of the world, or worse disappear for weeks into the hills. He would return and sleep for days on end. Eventually he moved the business to Bergamo.  This however was no place for a young man to grow and more pain than a young boy could endure.

          So it came to pass that I, Tranio Da Silva, was taken in by the lord Vincentio and moved to his estate in Florence, to be trained as servant and companion to his son. Neither of us, however, forgot those carefree young days, although, on the surface we maintained the appearance of master and loyal servant. When we would venture into the city or further afield, then the facade slipped away and we became friends, nay almost brothers. It was during this time that I noticed a trend, especially in our later years, for it was always my master, with his eye for a pretty face and his puppy dog enthusiasm, that would lead us into some trouble. For some reason, it was always I that had to get us out of it. 

Ben (with Gil Garland) as the thoroughly lovely Edmund, in last year's 'King Lear'

It was during one such venture to a tavern in the city of Milan, that we encountered a young street urchin, a boy called Biondello. Not the most inspiring of first encounters: he tried to steal a loaf of bread from us. A chase ensued, in which it became clear this lad possessed an acrobatic energy level and, though not the smartest of God’s men, he was basically honest and willing. An orphan from Milan, he spent his early days begging and stealing whatever he could, but, upon good report from my master, he was taken into service within the household.

          So the years passed and we three roamed the streets of Florence, growing and experiencing the culture around us. However it could not last. My master was after all the son and only heir to a lord and a man of high renown. In this respect we were dispatched to Pisa, to oversee one of his father’s assets within the fine walls of that fair city. So for awhile it was Biondello and I, exploring wherever possible and gaining experience that I knew would prove more useful than anything my master could learn in a book, whilst Lucentio took upon himself the mantle of a noble man.

     Then one day, in early spring, my master decided that we would move; for, he claimed, he had a great desire to visit and study in Padua. At first I was not keen, but, owing my position, and in some cases my life, to my master and his family, I agreed. Of course Biondello would not be left out and so the three of us embarked upon a voyage of many months, from Pisa on the west coast, down around the very toe of Italy and back up the east coast in what can only be described as a ship fit for nothing more than sinking.

Survive this we did though, even after encountering a whale - whose size was beyond all expectation, unless it were told in some ancient mariners fable - and storms so strong we were blown backwards for a day. Once these dangers passed, and upon navigating the Fiume Bacchiglione, we disembarked at fair Padua...though no sooner had we reached the main street, than we were party to a display of family discord. 

Ben as Malcolm, taking up the Scottish crown in 'Macbeth'

And this is where the story really starts. My master and I were witness to an affray regarding the two daughters of one Baptista Minola, who was, as we discovered later, one of the greatest noble men of Padua. It seemed his youngest daughter was most sought after, whilst the eldest, a right shrew it would seem, was unwanted. The father however would not allow anyone close to his youngest, other than teachers, until the elder was wedded.

          At first I found this most amusing, more so as the two apparent suitors were ancient men of no distinction. Then however, things became complicated: my master fell in love. Now he has done this at least 4 score times before. This time though, something seemed different within him, as if the younger Lucentio I knew of old, the one I schemed with as a boy, had returned. Unfortunately this also led to one of his elaborate ruses.

     I did suggest that perhaps he should become a teacher, if he really did love this maid as he claimed, although I did have to point out he was also meant to be here making a name for himself.  Before I could stop him he declared that I would impersonate him and, swifter than a greyhound, he had us exchange clothes and told Biondello, who had recently come ashore, to obey me, claiming that he was in hiding after killing a man.

He then contrived to meet with one of the suitors, Gremio, convincing him that he was a teacher of languages, new to the area and enquiring of any posts. Gremio immediately latched onto the idea to have my master teach Bianca, the youngest daughter, of love and loving him. To gain access to Bianca, my master readily agreed. I was set the task of securing lodgings; whilst nothing extravagant it would have to suffice as the residence of Lucentio and his only servant Biondello.

          So I return to my dream. I have indeed ventured forth to new lands, though lands not as far-flung as originally desired. I have, after a fashion, a servant of my own and power to wield, though none of it my own. Even after my attempts to dissuade him from this part of the plan, I must be Tranio no more, for now I am Lucentio, son of Vincentio.

          Now…how do I even begin with this imitation?  Of course, I will do my duty, it is only that I have never undertaken anything this serious. In the past we swapped identities as mere child’s games, now things could get really out of hand. If only mother or father were here to ask. Perhaps, perhaps the answer lies within?

          Hark I hear my master call! No… it is Cambio as he calls himself now. Though the plan proceeds apace, I worry; his Latin is passing good, as long as mathematics is not required, this should proceed accordingly. Cambio will travel with Gremio ahead of myself and Biondello. We are to join him shortly and announce the arrival of ‘Lucentio’ in Padua and his intention to woo Bianca. So for now I leave the page open and part with a phrase much used by Uncle Luigi: fortune favours the bold!

Onwards noble Biondello! Fetch our horses! Let us go win a maid’s honour for good Lucentio! No matter which one of us he is at the time…          

_____________________________________________

And that, my friends, is how it's done! Different people have vastly differing methods for getting in touch with their characters, but this one, actually writing a back-story, seems to be really sparking the imaginations of everyone involved and getting us all engaged.

Thanks Ben.

Next?

Three Thousand Elephants.

You'll see why it's called that in due course!
We had a brilliant day up at Stoke Fleming on Sunday...but not the day we were expecting and hoping to have.

Unfortunately, our lovely tutor for the day, Michael Corbidge, was unable to attend; so many thanks to whoever it was that was driving the car that rear-ended Michael and put him in a neck-brace!
Those who were due to attend the text workshop still pitched up and we spent a marvelous day working on the openings of some of the scenes, playing with what the characters are doing and trying to tease more comedy and movement from them, generally speaking.

For those of you who couldn't get there; those of you who want to see it again; those of you who are interested in seeing what goes into crafting a scene, this is for you.
We are working, in the clip below, on Act 2 Scene 1 of The Shrew. You can really see the changes as the rehearsal progresses and how all the ideas were taken on-board, tried and either used or put aside for use in a different context or play. Nothing gets wasted here...
Enjoy!

Katherina Speaks.

We have heard, as Petruchio says to Baptista at one point, that Katherina is:

'...curst...for policy, For she's not froward, but modest as the dove; She is not hot, but temperate as the morn.'

And so she is! At least Jilly is, who's playing the lovely Kate. Here's her answer to my call for a female perspective on the play, the character of Kate and all related things. If anybody out there is playing Kate, this insight is well worth a read.

Kate's Blog

“Oh, you’re going to be tamed are you?” said friends when they learnt I was to play Kate. 

“NO! I am NOT!” said I. 

“But isn’t that the story?” they asked whilst taking a step back.  

Hmmm, time for me to explain perhaps.

There must be more to this taming thing. Why would Shakespeare write something so crass and insulting to women when he was capable of such beautiful love poetry and how could any audience possibly enjoy such a misogynistic tale even allowing for the social differences between the 1500s and now? 

First, I reminded myself that this play was written as a comedy. That could explain a lot, but not all. Kate and Petruchio display bursts of temper and extreme cruelty which are hard to excuse, let alone to laugh off. But the play is funny, so what and who are we laughing at and why? 

Janie, our Director had decided to use the Commedia dell'Arte style of performance to influence the production; it’s an old and very physical method of working involving masks, stock characters and slapstick! This was going to be fun and I needed to get fit.

Janie also asked us if we thought this was a love story, and I decided, immediately that it was ‘cos that’s the kind of girl I am. Plus, like most of us, I like a happy ending! So, an early challenge was to establish who this foul tempered Kate bitch really is and why Petruchio behaves like an idiot and a bully? Most importantly, why would they fall in love? (Or is it lust?)

In his blog, Rich (Petruchio) has mentioned the actors’ questions which have formed the basis for the back stories which we’ve written for our characters. Putting my thoughts into words meant I really had to dig out all the clues in the text first and then combine them with my own experiences as a woman, real and imagined!  The detailed nature of our back stories has meant that we have been able to use our imaginations to unravel some of the mysteries of what our characters are thinking and saying in a way that hopefully explains this controversial and ambiguous play. 

Kate bending an ear or four.

Shakespeare’s language is tricky and perceptions of how women should behave have changed over time so relating to Kate and her situation has been a challenge and it’s fair to say that I’m still looking for clues!  Through the rehearsal process with Janie and Rich, we have tried to find answers for most of those questions and I hope, will be able to convey the story to a modern audience in a way that they can understand and above all, enjoy.

Working with Michael Corbidge of the RSC has been such a privilege and made me realise just how much I have to learn! His workshops have been so packed full of information; how to unlock the text and in particular a technique called “Actioning the lines” which is fascinating and will make me look differently at every script from now on. Basically the process is one of allocating a transitive verb (a doing word that can be done to someone else) to each sentence, delivering it with one thought and one breath. For me, it’s almost like magic and really helps the lines to be spoken in a way that sounds natural, true and spontaneous – sorry, in danger of sounding completely up myself. So, where was I?

I found that one of the hardest sections to make any sense of, particularly for a modern audience is Kate’s speech at the very end of the play. In it Kate tells women to obey their husbands. Her words appear to be in complete contrast to her confrontational behaviour throughout the majority of the play. On first sight she seems to have been crushed and oh dear me, even tamed.  What a disappointment – the audience has been seriously short changed! Well no, actually, because once again there’s so much more to it than that. Clever ol’ Shakespeare, he not only knew all about the battle of the sexes but he also understood the human condition so completely that he was able to make this a battle and a love story all in one; an unconventional marriage maybe but between people of like minds and ultimately, who show mutual respect. I believe that they each recognise their own failings in the behaviour of the other and, actually, don’t need to carry on like that anymore. All the anger and frustration that has built up over the years is dissipated by their love and by their mischievous sense of humour. Kate says in her final speech “Now I see our lances are but straws, our strengths as weak”. In other words all the showing off and throwing their weight around is rendered pointless and they can be happy with who they are.

Kate and Petruchio are two misfits. They get angry, behave badly and get things wrong. These two truly complex characters were thrown together, married less than a week later and their relationship should have been doomed to failure. However, pretty quickly they begin to realise that they are, infact, the same in many ways; kindred spirits who understand each other and are a perfect, albeit slightly mad match. They have many layers to their personalities and that’s what makes them human and so much fun to play.

Getting to grips with the text, the characters and the long grass.

One final thought; who is the Shrew? Is it Kate or actually is it Petruchio? In one version of the script “shrew” is defined as cantankerous person! So do either of them get tamed? Absolutely not, that would be very dull!  Kate is not tamed, nor would any red blooded man want her to be. And hurray for an unconventional and exciting hero who will spice things up in her life at long last. Perhaps Kate and Petruchio’s real adventure begins once the play has ended!

More from other cast members as the weeks progress towards the culmination of all this hard work, and thanks to Jilly for taking the time write for the blog.

Another Glimpse Behind the Scenes

Sunday rehearsals have, for this production, become something of a many-headed beast. Some of us were out in the kitchen, making a coffee, some were sat in the foyer discussing - believe it or not - next year's production, some were running their lines in another part of the hall and some, like the ladies and one gentleman in the video below, were working incredibly hard on a dance sequence...under the expert eye of Lynne, our A.D. for The Shrew and our dance and movement person!

Working out the basics for a sequence such as this takes time and effort, and will probably change many times before it appears on stage, with music, but this gives you an idea what goes on prior to you seeing the whole thing, resplendent with costumes, music and atmosphere.

In the video you can see Ben, Shirley, Ellie, Clare, Freya and Lynne doing the counting.

Once we've done what we can in the hall, we then transfer to the castle. During the afternoon, it's not feasible to use the castle - too many visitors - but come the early evening, we now go there and start putting everything in place. Thus far we've been blessed with excellent weather...but there are coats and wellies, hats and scarves all tucked away in the boots of various cars; nothing if not prepared!

Here's a first glimpse of some of the rest of the cast up at the castle, 

re-acquainting themselves with the space, each other and the whole experience of Shakespeare in the open-air.

As merrier band of Thesps as you're ever likely to meet...in the most stunning amphitheatre pretty much anywhere.

Here are (left to right) Gil Garland, who's playing Hortensio; Ernie Wingeatt, as Grumio
and Nick Crosley is Baptista Minola

Considering it's been a while since we were at the castle, everybody seemed to get back into the swing of it very quickly...

Nick again, with James, who is playing Lucentio (or is it Cambio?) and Ben as Tranio...or is it Lucentio? Or neither?

Not to say that The Shrew is a complete hotpotch of disguises, mistaken identity, love-lorn maids, love-lorn lords or complete idiots...but it is.

Left to right again: Sally is playing Bianca; Clare is Bianca's maid; Jilly is Kate and Shaunagh is The Widow.

Finally, a shot or two of the cast, for no other reason than they look good!

 Waiting for the grass to be cut though.

All the suitors in a row...although Hortensio's looking a bit bored by it all!

 

Petruchio - What's In A Back-story?

He's a busy bloke is Rich...but he's written another episode of what it's like to get a character into shape and up on stage.
It's a great read and gives everyone, actor, director, techie or audience member, an idea of the time and effort that needs to go into putting on a performance; doesn't matter if it's Shakespeare, Rattigan, Churchill or Aykcbourn, this is the sort of enthusiasm and dedication that is needed. Professional or not, you gotta put the work in to get the results.

Katherina and Petruchio aka Jilly Brock and Rich Turley, trying to remember
that it's actually Padua (huzzah!) and not Dartmouth Castle.

It would appear that Max (aka ‘Grooms’ or Grumio) is putting me to shame with his regular blog entries so here’s my much overdue next entry.

I’ve been reflecting on just how much effort an ’amateur’ theatre company puts into ensuring a production is as professional as possible.  By 4 June, in the 16 weeks since my final audition for Petruchio back in February I’d estimate at least 40 hours of rehearsal on 10 occasions be that Wednesday evening or Sunday afternoon.

On top of that a full day RSC Open Stage workshop at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff and the delight of working with Michael Corbidge for our first Text and Voice Workshop.  Not to mention at least the same amount of time again learning lines (and Petruchio has lots of lines!!).

Oh, and I forgot to mention a final promenade performance of the Dream on 10 May!!

So just what do we get up to at the rehearsals and what does it take to bring Will’s wonderful text to life?

In this blog I’d like to share a little about creating a back story.  At the workshop in Cardiff we discussed the “Actors’ Questions”, i.e. fully understanding everything about your character so that you “be your character” and don’t “act”.

“Don’t act”?! I hear you say – well, yes that’s the trick it would appear!  The more you understand your character and how they would naturally react to any situation the more you become them and hey presto you behave in a natural and believable way on stage.

So here they are, the Actors’ Questions ...

1.       Who am I?

2.       Where am I?

3.       When is it?

4.       What circumstances happened before the play begins?

5.       What has just happened?

6.       What do I want?

7.       Why do I want it?

8.       Why do I want it now?

9.       What would happen if I didn’t get it now?

10.   How do I get what I want?

11.   What must I overcome?

12.   What are my relationships?

Now, with The Inn Theatre Company being such a dedicated bunch we’ve taken this one big step further and each actor is writing their character’s back story (see...the title of the blog does make sense after all !!)

Hats off to Jilly for her confidence to write a very detailed and open back story for Katherina which she then shared with Janie and me.  Jilly put a lot of research into this and when I read it her character made sense and so I decided to do the same for Petruchio.

5,000 words later (yes, 5,000!) I had produced my detailed back story and an outline of what’s making Petruchio tick for each scene.

Clearly you don’t need to go that mad but for me it was the ideal way to develop the character.  Without giving too much away the back story covers his childhood, formative years, the year leading up to the time of the play and what sets Petruchio off on his travels to “Wive it wealthily in Padua”.

I used the 12 questions above combined with some personal insight and experiences (which then make it easier to tap into the emotions required for Petruchio’s varied personalities!!).  Jilly and I then shared our back stories, tweaked them and worked together on what’s going on during the events between scenes that Will has basically left to our devices.

Max then wrote Groom’s story which amplified mine and so the snowball (or avalanche) commenced!!

I would whole heartedly recommend this to anyone as it is totally worth the effort – I now have a bit of Petruchio alive inside me (what a strange concept!) and feel a lot more confident.

To round this blog off here’s a little bit of the back story (well, you deserve it seeing as you’ve taken the time to read the blog!).  I hope you find it interesting and who knows, maybe relevant when you join us in August for the production.

Part of Petruchio's Story (As told by Rich)

' “Petruchio is my name, Antonio’s Son, a man well known throughout all Italy”

Or so he was ... until he passed away 6 months ago.

I’m still not sure how I feel about that, I never did manage to achieve the same fame as my father – maybe one day my son will say “I am Petruchio’s Son, a man well know throughout all Italy”, but there’s fat chance of that without a wife to my name...and the last thing I want is to be tied to some woman for the rest for my life with a kid in tow.

------

After 6 months of xxxxxxx my inheritance up the wall feeling sorry for myself it’s about time I sorted things in my life once and for all ... if nothing else I need some money because the kitty is pretty empty now.  I’m sure Grumio has got a whiff that the money is drying up ... he’s a cheeky little xxxxxxx when he gets going and tries winding me up – the last thing I need is him blabbing that Petruchio {famous old Anthonio’s son} is nearly bankrupt – I’d kill myself before allowing such shame to go against the family name.  But Grumio knows the score and keeps it to himself right now ... and he keeps the servants in line which is no mean feat I can tell you!! '

More from Rich when he has the time, between shrew-taming, working and learning lines. I also hope to get some of the other cast members to add to this memoir of The Shrew; it's always good to get a broad perspective on what's going on and how people feel about a production. 

A Strange Feeling of Deja Vu.

Over a year has been and gone since last we were all up the Castle, getting ready for another foray into the wonderful world of Will; and when we do get up here, it feels like only yesterday that we were up here...sort of a Shakespearean Groundhog Day.

Part of the Castle before it's had its summer trim - blame the council!

Here we are again then, as disparate (some might say desperate, but not I!) a group of people as you ever could wish to meet, all gathered together for the express purpose of bringing the past to life and making it resonate in the present day. It's great.

As has been said elsewhere in this blog, it never ceases to amaze me how, when the call goes out, we get some wonderful people answering; and the talent that we have within the company is as manifold and disparate as...well, as the group itself!
Case in point:

This is Lynne (the smiley, good-looking one...sorry Fred.) who is a power-house of enthusiasm and knowledge. She not only works with us (she is A.D. for this year's production) but with the junior arm of another local company and she teaches too. This year though, her knowledge of movement and the dell'arte form has proven to be invaluable. Character work: yep. Movement: a given. Mime: of course. The list goes on.

This is Shaunagh (the good looking one...sorry again Fred!) who gave us such a wonderful Goneril in last year's 'King Lear'. Not only does she act, she has designed the posters and programme covers for the last two productions (she's done this year's too) but now she is taking on the role of wardrobe mistress and costume design...scarily talented.

Three for the price of one here. Front, with the hat, is Jane, this year's director and also the company's Artistic Director, whose efforts this year not only encompass the production but also acquiring us a further three years affiliation to the Royal Shakespeare Company...she's no slouch when it comes to getting up on stage and bringing characters to life, either. Witness Maria, in Twelfth Night, or Audrey, in As You Like It.

Then there's Jilly (the other good looking one...sorry Rich) who is Katherina in this year's show. Not only has she delivered a stunning Regan in Lear, a wonderfully sultry Titania, in the touring Dream, but has helped shape so many performances, other than her own, and added so much to set and costume design it's almost as scary as one of the Witches she portrayed in Macbeth!

Then there's Rich. Now Rich, I know, would be the first to admit that he's a bit of newbie when it comes to thespianism. However! There can't be many actors of any calibre who throw themselves so readily into a role. He's pretty much game for anything. He's playing Petruchio this year (and Lysander and Theseus in the Dream...don't ask!) and he's volunteered to write an actor's viewpoint blog for us here. (The first instalment is elsewhere on the blog)

Oh yeah...and he is a good actor!

And those are just five of the company. Every last one of the guys involved has a talent and enthusiasm for what we do: they smile, they laugh, they get on with it. Couldn't ask for more really.

The photos here are from our first night up at the castle, getting to grips with the minutae of the play, a bit of blocking and a huge amount of fun. What is smashing is that we don't stagnate as a company, we're always trying different things and also attracting new people to come and discover just what it is that keeps us doing what we do each year.

This is Clare, who saw the web-site and got in touch and, suddenly, found herself knee-deep in mud at Hole Farm, playing with the Mechanicals; definite in-at-the-deep-end sort of thing.

And this is James, persuaded by Rich to come and give it go. This is what I mean when I say 'the call goes out - and people answer'.  So many talented people out there and so many of them are up on our stage in August and throughout the year. 

Here are a few more shots of last night's rehearsals with a few more of this year's cast getting stuck in.

Sam (Biondello) and James (The Merchant) in the little and large show.

Sam, James and Ben (Tranio) - are you sure this is the right page?

Jane explaining that yes, this is a table...and Ikea are interested.

Shirley and Fred putting Jane's explanation and Lynne's advice to good use. They're miming table-tennis.
They're not really.

Katherina and Petruchio - mesmerised. That, or he's knelt on a nail

More to follow soon. Let us know what think - I know you're out there, reading this, the stats tell me as much. Thanks for reading and, I hope, enjoying!