Introduction to Verbatim Theatre
Short Study – Weekend Course
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Overview
Verbatim theatre is a form of documentary theatre. It is an innovative approach to theatre-making that involves finding or capturing lived experiences about a subject or an event and editing the material together for a performance. Famous examples include Gregory Burke’s Black Watch, Gary McNair’s Locker Room Talk and Alecky Blythe’s London Road. To find out move about verbatim theatre you can watch this video.
This two day in-person short course is designed for anyone with an interest in learning about verbatim theatre, developing verbatim performance techniques, and understanding how to conduct verbatim research.
The course is led by Ben Standish, a RCS graduate theatre-maker who has worked on a range of verbatim theatre projects in the UK and overseas.
The course will provide practical experience, allowing participants to understand the key elements for creating and performing verbatim theatre.
This course is ideal for anyone who is interested in developing acting skills specific to verbatim theatre and for any prospective theatre-makers who might want to develop their own work.
By the end of the sessions, you will have gained an understanding of the essential skills needed to create verbatim theatre.
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Contact us
If you have any questions about this course before you book it, please get in touch with us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk.
The important details
Age:
16+
Cost:
£185
Date:
15-16 February 2025
Time:
Saturday and Sunday, 10am - 5pm
Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Course Information
Each session will begin with a warm-up to prepare you for the creative and physical work of the day. We will then engage in a range of practical exercises related to verbatim theatre creation and performance.
Working individually and in groups, the exercises will give you first-hand experience of the verbatim theatre process. You will experiment with various methodologies and think about your own practice as a verbatim theatre practitioner.
Together we will discuss and reflect after each exercise, and you will be encouraged to share your work and your thoughts with other participants.
You will be given and small research or practical task to complete over night, to use the next day.
Some of the specific areas we will focus on include:
- Methods for verbatim performance (e.g. recorded delivery)
- Approaches to verbatim research (e.g. interview technique)
- Transcribing recorded audio
- Collating and editing verbatim material
- Creating, recreating, and reinventing characters
- Verbatim research ethics
There are no entry requirements for this open access course. Students do not need to have previous experience. Students should show up to class eager to learn and take part.
If you have any questions about this class or the support we can offer, please get in touch with us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk
- Please bring a pair of headphones and a device that records audio (e.g. a mobile phone).*
- Plan and prepare to attend all classes.
- Dress comfortably in clothes which are suitable for the activity you are taking part in.
- Bring a notepad and pen/pencil in case you wish to make notes.
- Please bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated during your class.
*If you aren’t able to bring your own equipment, we may be able to provide some for you if you let us know in advance.
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.
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