A SUCCESSFUL visit to Kettlewell by a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company last month has successfully re-launched a regional Shakespeare project for the Dales.

Following up from the visit will be 'Discover Shakespeare: Sonnets, Soliloquies and Soundbites' on Saturday May 13 at Kettlewell Village Hall. RSC voice and text coach Gary Horner – who also acts, directs and leads the acting MA course at Liverpool’s prestigious Institute of Performing Arts – led the first Upper Wharfedale Arts and Literature Society (UWALS) promoted workshop in March. A total 22 enthusiastic participants aged from 16 to 89 years old made it through the snow to spend the day exploring their vocal ranges and getting to grips with a number of Shakespeare texts.

Now project leader Ron Norman, an experienced director, teacher and student of Shakespeare who himself performed with the RSC last year as part of the company’s ‘Shakespeare Nation’ programme, is to lead a second full day’s session.

Ron said: "Once again, the session will involve some gentle explorations of vocal technique applied to Shakespeare’s language, before getting stuck into some of his sonnets, a couple of soliloquies and even a look at the language of political oratory, linked to the RSC’s touring production of Julius Caesar."

All are welcome at the next Discover Shakespeare session, whether or not they attended the first workshop - but hurry to book a place, numbers are limited.

Ron said: "This is very much designed to offer everyone – whatever their previous contact with Shakespeare - the chance to experience perhaps a different and more active engagement with his work than they have had before."

The UWALS Shakespeare project was established in 2017 as an occasional gathering for anyone with an interest in getting to know and enjoy the works of Shakespeare, with a particular emphasis on active explorations of the language of his plays.

The group has organised a number of workshops on various Shakespearian themes, collaborated with Grassington Town Hall in running screenings of many of his more popular plays, and begun to explore the process of transforming words on a page to stories on a stage.

More workshops and activities to do with Shakespeare are planned for the coming months.

To take part in the workshop on May 13, contact Ron via the Upper Wharfedale Arts and Literature Society (UWALS) at : uwalsociety@gmail.com or call him on 01756 770350.