With no set date for schools to fully reopen in the UK, thousands of young people and families are continuing to home school. The #RSCHomeworkHelp initiative has received hundreds of questions from young people studying Shakespeare in the UK and around the world. Questions range from ‘do you have any advice for performing on Zoom?’, ‘how would you update the servants in Romeo and Juliet?’ to ‘if Julius Caesar was a radio play, how would you stage the assassination scene?’ and ‘Which sister is worse, Goneril or Regan?’
RSC Actors and alumni have been helping to answer the questions including RSC Associate Artist, David Tennant, who responded to a question about his favourite Hamlet soliloquy. Actors including David Bradley, Paapa Essiedu, Niamh Cusack, Charlotte Arrowsmith and Noma Dumezweni have offered homework help to students. The actors, who are currently unable to rehearse or perform, have volunteered to share their tips and answer questions about Shakespeare and drama studies whilst under lockdown.
Due to the success of the initiative #RSCHomeworkHelp will continue into the summer term and new questions can be sent from 1 June either by email to homeworkhelp@thersc.org.uk or via twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #RSCHomeworkHelp. The actors will then respond to the students’ questions through a mixture of written and video responses which will all shared on the RSC website.
See further #RSChomeworkhelp Q&As here.