Acting: Introduction to Shakespeare (16+)
Summer School for Adults
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Overview
This week long in-person summer school aims to develop acting, movement and voice skills which are required to creatively engage with heightened classical text.
Throughout the course you will work in an immersive way to develop your understanding of Shakespeare’s work, exploring established and innovative practice, and applying new knowledge in a practical and professional setting.
This summer school is suited to students aged 16+ who are seeking a professional training experience or who may be considering acting as a career.
By the end of the course you will have:
- Become acquainted with the essentials of textual analysis
- Learned how to explore heightened text, verse-speaking and imagery
- Explored techniques which can enhance character development and story-telling
- Gained an understanding of how to embody the voice and explore physicality in the performance of Shakespearean texts
The course culminates in a presentation of scenes and soliloquies to an invited audience of family and friends in one of the Royal Conservatoire’s professional theatre spaces.
If you have any questions in advance of booking, please contact us at summerschools@rcs.ac.uk
You may also be interested in: Acting for Camera 16+ , Acting : Audition Preparation 16+
The important details
Age:
16+
Cost:
£605
Date:
28 July - 1 August 2025
Time:
Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm
Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Course Information
The course explores established and innovative methodologies in the three main disciplines of acting, movement and voice. These will be studied in relation to the analysis, rehearsal and performance of works by Shakespeare. You will also take part in workshops which explore building a character, character relationships and journeys, and the power of the soliloquy.
During the summer school, you will begin each day with a warm up. You will then take part in a variety of practical workshops. Individual and pair work is often a result of these workshops and exercises.
The style of engagement within this summer school is open, supportive and fun, yet it is also challenging and hard work. Self-directed study will be an expectation of your evenings during your time with us.
Commitment, focus, energy and professionalism will be expected at all times by the teaching team. The experience resembles that of the students on our BA Acting programme and gives you a taste of what life is like at drama school.
This is an open access course for anyone regardless of prior acting experience.
You should be open, honest, generous, respectful, willing to take risks, hard-working and happy to participate in new challenges. The course would particularly benefit people wishing to:
- Build on or refresh previous acting experience
- Explore this as a pathway towards or as an alternative to full-time training
- Investigate the possibilities of pursuing a career in acting
Please bring a water bottle as workshop activities in this course will be physical. You should also bring a pen and notebook for making notes. Dress appropriately in loose and comfortable clothing and be prepared to work without shoes if required.
The course runs Monday, 28 July – Friday, 1 August, from 10am to 5pm.
There will be a short sharing of the work students have been engaging with on the Friday afternoon for invited family and friends.
Summer Accommodation
We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.
We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.
Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.
Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site outwith the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.
For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@herestudents.com.
Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.
For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.
Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR
Further Information
We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:
Agnes Allan Bursary
Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.
The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.
Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.
James McAvoy Drama Scholarships
BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.
James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.
The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.
You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.
We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.
You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.
Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.
Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.
Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.
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Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk
Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk
Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk
Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk