MSF ZOOM WORKSHOP SERIES: 'Recasting the Script”
Friday, January 3, 2025, 1:00 pm until 2:00 pm
Presented By the Montague Shakespeare Festival. Shifting Away from Traditional Gender Imbalance Facilitator: Elle While (Artistic Director, Pentabus Theatre; Associate Artist, Shakespeare's Globe)
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR WORKSHOP
This past summer, Elle directed 'Richard III' at Shakespeare's Globe where her innovative approach to casting received critical acclaim.
Elle While is currently the Artistic Director of Pentabus Theatre and an associate artist of Shakespeare's Globe. She has worked with some of the UK's most renowned theatres, including the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and The Old Vic, among others. Her work has garnered awards from the Edinburgh and Adelaide Festivals and explores themes of identity, place, and gender.
"Recasting the Script - Shifting Away from Traditional Gender Imbalance" is a one-hour Zoom workshop offering participants the opportunity to explore gender dynamics in theatre and how we can shift away from traditional imbalances. Whether you're an actor, director, playwright, or simply interested in the changing landscape of the arts, this workshop is designed to inspire new ways of thinking about storytelling and casting choices in Shakespeare's works and beyond.
What to Expect from the Workshop:?
- Understanding Gender Dynamics in Theatre: Learn about the historical context of gender imbalance in Shakespearean and other classical works, and understand how modern theatre can evolve by removing limitations on gender casting.
- Exploring Identity and Place: Uncover how identity and place influence storytelling and how breaking traditional casting conventions can bring deeper, more meaningful interpretations of characters and narratives.
- Hands-on Analysis: Participate in an interactive analysis of selected scenes, with a focus on how shifting gender roles can impact character motivations and story arcs. Elle's experience with text-based and physical storytelling will provide valuable insights into making these changes both powerful and authentic.
- Collaborative Environment: Engage with a group of like-minded individuals passionate about theatre and open to all the creative possibilities recasting roles can bring. The workshop will foster a supportive environment where participants can freely share their ideas and questions.
- Practical Application: Gain practical tools and methodologies that can be applied to productions, whether you are working on Shakespeare or contemporary plays. Elle will share her experience in directing, facilitating, and bringing all genders into storytelling, providing you with a toolkit to approach your own work with fresh perspective.
About Elle While
As Artistic Director of Pentabus Theatre and associate artist of Shakespeare's Globe, Elle While is dedicated to viscerally truthful storytelling. Her work champions female stories and artists, exploring how identity and our sense of place shape narrative. With her extensive experience in both text-based and non-text-based storytelling, Elle is passionate about challenging traditional gender roles and imbalances in theatre, bringing authenticity and inclusivity to her craft.
This workshop is ideal for actors, directors, writers, educators, and anyone interested in pushing the boundaries of traditional gender roles in theatre. Whether you are experienced or new to these ideas, this session will provide you with the inspiration and tools to reshape how stories are told and experienced.
Education & Facilitation
Elle has extensive experience in designing and delivering theatre workshops and running community theatre groups. She has also worked as a facilitator and assessor at universities for undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Before beginning her training at Birkbeck, Elle was the Youth Theatre Director for The Octagon Theatre, Bolton for two years, where she directed over 20 productions. She also trained as a workshop facilitator with TiPP (Theatre in Prisons and Probation) and has worked extensively as a freelance workshop leader.
Elle has held contracts with the following companies as a director of education projects, workshop facilitator, and lecturer:
- The Young Vic
- The Royal Shakespeare Company
- Shared Experience
- West Yorkshire Playhouse
- Pentabus
- Northern School of Contemporary Dance
- The Library Theatre, Manchester
- Nottingham Playhouse
- Nottingham University
- Bolton Racial Equality Council
- TiPP (Theatre in Prisons and Probation)
- ODD Theatre (Offender Development through Drama)
- Second Shot Productions (Her Majesties Prison Doncaster)
- Birkbeck College (University of London)
- Clean Break
- London Bubble
- Institute of the Arts Barcelona
- Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
- Elle trained on the Birkbeck MFA in Theatre Directing and holds a first-class honours degree in Drama from the University of Manchester.
Directing Credits
- Richard III by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Globe
- Driftwood by Tim Foley, Pentabus and ThickSkin Theatre
- Twelfth Night, Cbeebies, BBC
- A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Globe
- One Of Them Ones by Charlie Josephene, Pentabus Theatre
- DESTINY by Florence Espuett-Nickless, Pentabus Theatre and Rural Media (Co-directed with Rachel Lambert)
- The Silence and the Noise by Tom Powell, Pentabus Theatre and Rural Media (Co-directed with Rachel Lambert)
- As You Like It, Cbeebies, BBC
- IDYLL by Matt Hartley, Pentabus Theatre
- Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Simon Reade, Nottingham Playhouse and UK for Jonathan Church Productions
- Dance Nation by Clare Barron, RWCMD
- Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale, Storyhouse Chester
- The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Globe
- Rage (UK Premier) by Simon Stephens, RWCMD
- As You Like It by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Globe
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Globe
