SHAKESPEARE
This group is currently meeting fortnightly on Thursdays at 10.15am in the Gala coffee shop, Durham City centre. The first meeting in 2024 will be Thursday 11th January. Zoom meetings will also be arranged if necessary depending on circumstances, e.g. bad weather. Information about meetings are circulated in advance by email.
"All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts" 'As You Like It', Act II Scene VII
The convenor is Sue Childs.
We discuss Shakespeare's plays and poetry and associated matters to do with theatre and culture / history of the time of Shakespeare. We do this in a number of ways:
- Group members select quotes from any play or poem, present this briefly to the group, then we have a discussion.
- We choose one of Shakespeare's plays to discuss in detail. Members select quotes, themes or characters etc to present for group discussion.
- We might take some general aspect related to Shakespeare, e.g. what is known about his life, how plays were performed in his day, and so on., to discuss.
- Currently we are looking at plays by contemporaries of Shakespeare, and then comparing them with a specific play of Shakespeare's.
Members study outside the class, and send out their quotes etc. by email before the meeting so others can study also. However, how much study, if any, a person wants to do is up to them.
Discussions are lively and far ranging. Everyone's contributions are welcomed within a supportive group.
Members share by email information about upcoming plays or programmes on Shakespeare and interesting sources.