This short film explores how during Shakespeare' time, women were not allowed to act on the stage.
As male actors played both sexes, costuming was particularly important to distinguish the male characters from the female characters.
Robin Belfield of the Royal Shakespeare Company explains that it is up to you to decide how you want your character to look.
He explains that Shakespeare plays can be set in any era; Juliet in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ could be played in traditional Elizabethan dress, in more modern dress or even in very casual clothing, depending on your vision for the part.
He suggests that a well-chosen accessory or prop can help to define a character.
He recommends using clues from the text to help define your vision for a character’s costume.
Robin believes that costume design should involve using your imagination and creativity.
Teacher Notes
Students could research the male acting troupes of Shakespeare’s time, and find out when women began to act on stage. They could research new ‘original practices’ all-male productions such as Mark Rylance’s 2012/13 Twelfth Night for Shakespeare’s Globe and study the costumes used in such a production.
Using further research, they could contrast traditional dress productions with costume designs from more modern productions.
As a whole class, students could create a costume design for an entire Shakespeare production, dividing characters amongst the class.
Curriculum Notes
This clip will be relevant for teaching Drama and English at KS3 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and third level in Scotland.
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