Don't miss your chance to observe high-level acting technique in process and learn by observation! Internationally award-winning Shakespeare Actor & Director, Sally McLean, is back teaching her unique set of techniques and exercises working with actors to conquer Shakespeare's language and truly make it their own with her Playing The Bard: Shakespeare In Performance course, live in an online small group class for a limited time and Audience (otherwise known as "Auditor") bookings are open now until February 25, 2025.

Come join Sally through the month of February and be an active observer of this unique Shakespeare class in a fun, supportive and inclusive online space, watching the transformations take place as participating students work with this multi award-winning and critically acclaimed director of Shakespeare.

Using techniques developed over ten years of developing and directing Shakespeare for the screen and stage, including internationally acclaimed digital series' Shakespeare Republic, Walking Shadows and Dark Arcadia as well as her years of teaching Shakespeare at institutions such as the Howard Fine Acting Studio Australia and the Equity Foundation, plus her extensive experience playing Shakespeare on stage and screen in both Australia and the UK, Sally brings all her knowledge and expertise to this 4 week class, enabling actors to delve deep into Shakespeare’s text, get grounded and embody character, while making Shakespeare’s language their own. It is guaranteed to be enlightening, inspiring and most of all - fun!

“… polished, beautifully made series from director/producer Sally McLean … a fine use of the platform and, more importantly, a very fine adaptation of the Bard … Shakespeare Republic is put together with grace and wit. An assortment of actors do terrific work making the (non-dumbed down) dialogue accessible, prying it open with great care and skill.” - THE GUARDIAN

CLASS INFORMATION:

Participating students are assigned a Shakespeare monologue each and then work intensively on that piece over the space of four classes – one class a week - with renowned Shakespeare teacher and award-winning actor and director, Sally McLean. Auditors/Audience/Observers will watch these classes, with the chance to ask questions of Sally about the work at the end of each class.

Auditor Passes are available for all four classes, two classes or just one class, depending on how much time you can commit to attending.

To access the class, you will need the Zoom software downloaded to your computer, laptop or mobile and a stable internet connection. You can download Zoom for free here: https://zoom.us/download

“McLean’s combined expertise is on full display in Shakespeare Republic, which features both a critical eye and ear to Shakespeare’s text, and high production values for a series of this kind … Shakespeare Republic disrupts and refracts traditional approaches to Shakespeare’s plays … the vignettes are themselves a metaphorical gauntlet thrown down to the viewer, daring them to imagine what a full production in this world might look like.” - BORROWERS AND LENDERS: THE JOURNAL OF SHAKESPEARE AND APPROPRIATION

OUTCOME: The chance to achieve a deeper understanding of Shakespeare interpretation and performance at a professional level through observation, adding portable tools to your acting toolbox that will be useful in performing Shakespeare, but can be applied to all performance texts, learning through watching others undergo the process of discovery and application.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Am I too young/old to be an Auditor/Audience member in this class?
This class is for students aged 17-70 years old - and beyond! You are never too old to learn and all ages 17 and up are welcome.

Do I need to know anything about Shakespeare to audit this class?
No! Sally will work with each participating student from where they are in regards to experience with Shakespeare - whether they are a total novice, experienced performer or somewhere in-between. As an auditor/audience, you get to watch and learn by observation as each student receives tailored guidance, working with their experience level. This way all auditors will learn from observing the active students, as well as from Sally.

What exactly will I be doing in this class as an Auditor/Audience member?
Learning how to effectively and authentically interpret Shakespeare text through observing actors at work with Sally McLean.

Can I ask questions during the class?
At the end of each class there will be a short amount of time allocated for any questions from the participating students and auditors. That is when you as an auditor/audience member can ask your questions directly of Sally.

“Sally is born to teach and provides a safe, inspiring and creative work place. It was fun, challenging, exciting and inspiring to be a part of such a wonderful class. I highly recommend that everyone does this course. Being an actor, Sally understands so much more and her knowledge of Shakespeare is just phenomenal.” – SARAH HALLAM (Actor, Director & Casting Director)

Requirements for Auditors/Observers/Audience:

A notebook and pen/pencil to take any notes.
A stable internet connection

Additional notes about the class:

All our teachers have current Working With Children permits

"The time and effort Sally put into working with each individual performer said everything to me – everyone matters, everyone is important. Nothing was generic – everything was specific, an observation on the work you were doing right there and then. Sally is a total delight, supportive, and encourages you to push yourself further than you knew you could. It was fantastic. Thank you Sally for encouraging me to believe in myself – and not just in regards to Shakespeare!" – JAKLENE VUKASINOVIC: Actor, Producer & Leading Improvisation Teacher

CLASS DETAILS:

TEACHER: Sally McLean

AGE GROUP FOR PARTICIPANTS:
17-70 (and beyond) years old

DATE/S:
Wednesday, February 5, 2025,
Wednesday, February 12, 2025,
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 &
Wednesday, February 26, 2025

HOURS:
7.00pm-10.00pm each day (AEDT) (Course is being run online from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)

PAYMENT:
Each Auditor/Audience Pass attracts a ticket fee that is paid to Humanitix. We have absorbed 50% of that fee to make things more affordable for our students. The remaining amount will be added to your transaction total at checkout.

We accept Afterpay, PayPal, Zip, American Express, MasterCard and VISA as payment options and all transactions are securely processed on our ticketing partner website Humanitix. We choose to partner with Humanitix because they donate 100% of profits from their ticket booking fees to charity, which is awesome.

Full Information about the Playing The Bard programs: https://www.playingthebard.com

Header photo: Sally McLean teaching in person at the Howard Fine Acting Studio. Photo by Jack Dixon-Gunn.