Shakespeare’s Shared Lines and Silences: Macbeth

Shakespeare rarely told his actors what to do in stage directions. He didn’t need to. When to interrupt, when to pick up a cue, when to let a silence land: it’s all written into the verse.

In this practical one-day workshop, Emily Jenkins, Text Practitioner at Shakespeare’s Globe, takes you inside Macbeth to find the direction hidden in the lines. Working scenes on your feet, you’ll interrogate the verse to uncover the structure, shape and psychology of each scene: where characters finish each other’s thoughts, where a line is left hanging, and what the silences reveal. A day of play and exploration.

Who it’s for

Professional actors. Some familiarity with Shakespeare’s iambic is helpful but not required; the day will open with a quick refresher. Scenes are shared in advance, and there’s no line learning.

What’s included

• A full day of practical scene work in a small group of no more than 12 actors
• A warm-up to prepare voice and body
• An introduction to how Shakespeare uses shared lines and silences in iambic pentameter
• Close work on key scenes from Macbeth
• Scene extracts emailed in advance, with printed copies provided on the day

Schedule for the day

• 10am to 10.30am: Warm-up
• 10.30am to 11.30am: Introduction to shared lines and iambic pentameter recap
• 11.30am to 1pm: Scene work
• 1pm to 2pm: Lunch
• 2pm to 5pm: Scene work continued, scenes may include (you will receive extracts in advance)

• Act 1 Scene 5
• Act 1 Scene 7
• Act 2 Scene 1
• Act 2 Scene 2
• Act 3 Scene 1
• Act 3 Scene 3
• Act 3 Scene 4