Reading Shakespeare: a director's perspective - Love's Labour's Lost & Antony & Cleopatra
Take a fresh look at Shakespeare, exploring selected plays in the company of an experienced theatre director. With performance in mind, we will examine the language and themes of two plays, watch and compare clips of stage productions and discuss the extraordinary variety to be found in Shakespeare’s work.
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On this eight-week in-person literature course, we will read and explore scenes from two contrasting Shakespeare plays: Love’s Labour’s Lost and Antony and Cleopatra. Examining how the pieces portray comic and tragic romance, and setting them within the chronology of Shakespeare’s plays, we will consider how a theatre director might approach the scripts with a view to performance.
What will we cover?
Both plays deal with the theme of love, tackling them in radically different ways. In Love’s Labour’s Lost, the plot is full of verbal and romantic games, with a wholehearted enjoyment of linguistic pretension and absurdity. In Antony and Cleopatra, while there is also wit and flirtation, the story is focused on the conflict between duty and desire within an epic geopolitical situation. We’ll carry out detailed readings of specific scenes in order to delve into these themes, as well as discussing the particular challenges of each piece and how theatre directors bring them to life in different ways.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Discuss two of Shakespeare’s plays in an informed and confident manner;
Identify significant themes and describe how these might be illuminated in performance;
Identify key features of Shakespeare’s verse, and how his use of language brings characters to life and creates a world.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
No previous knowledge is required, just an interest in reading, considering and discussing the plays.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Tutor mini-lecture, small and large group discussion and some reading aloud of the play texts for anyone who wishes to participate. Extracts of filmed performances will be used where available, exploring 'text to performance'. Work outside of class is to do the assigned reading for each week and individual research for those who wish.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please buy or borrow copies of Love’s Labour’s Lost and Antony and Cleopatra (any edition).
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Look for other Drama courses in the Literature programme at History, Culture ande Humanities/Literature/Drama at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Laura is an experienced theatre director, teacher and writer and has taught at City Lit since 2011. Laura has worked at a wide range of venues including the National Theatre, the Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park, Birmingham Rep, the Cambridge Arts Theatre, and Southwark Playhouse. She loves all types of plays, from new writing and devised theatre to Shakespeare and works in translation, and enjoys bringing scenes and characters to life with students in her classes. Laura studied English Literature as an undergraduate at Oxford University and went on to take an MA in Text and Performance Studies at King’s College London and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She now splits her time between teaching and writing novels for young adults.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/reading-shakespeare-a-director-s-perspective-love-s-labour-s-lost-antony-cleopatra2744879Reading Shakespeare: a director's perspective - Love's Labour's Lost & Antony & Cleopatrahttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/demystifying-poetry-hlt354-1080.jpg219219GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Drama22851177118711891228511771187<p>Take a fresh look at Shakespeare, exploring selected plays in the company of an experienced theatre director. With performance in mind, we will examine the language and themes of two plays, watch and compare clips of stage productions and discuss the extraordinary variety to be found in Shakespeare’s work.</p><p> </p><p> </p>002744771Reading Shakespeare: a director's perspective - Love's Labour's Lost & Antony & Cleopatra219219https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/demystifying-poetry-hlt354-1080.jpgInStockDaytimeWedKeeley StreetAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2026-05-13T00:00:00+00:00May 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHLT307219219Reading Shakespeare: a director's perspective - Love's Labour's Lost & Antony & Cleopatra175142219Laura Baggaleyreading-shakespeare-a-director-s-perspective-love-s-labour-s-lost-antony-cleopatra/hlt307-2526<p>Take a fresh look at Shakespeare, exploring selected plays in the company of an experienced theatre director. With performance in mind, we will examine the language and themes of two plays, watch and compare clips of stage productions and discuss the extraordinary variety to be found in Shakespeare’s work.</p><p> </p><p> </p>0000-Available|2026-05-13 00:00:00<p>On this eight-week in-person literature course, we will read and explore scenes from two contrasting Shakespeare plays: <em>Love’s Labour’s Lost</em> and <em>Antony and Cleopatra</em>. Examining how the pieces portray comic and tragic romance, and setting them within the chronology of Shakespeare’s plays, we will consider how a theatre director might approach the scripts with a view to performance.</p><p>Take a fresh look at Shakespeare, exploring selected plays in the company of an experienced theatre director. With performance in mind, we will examine the language and themes of two plays, watch and compare clips of stage productions and discuss the extraordinary variety to be found in Shakespeare’s work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Both plays deal with the theme of love, tackling them in radically different ways. In <em>Love’s Labour’s Lost</em>, the plot is full of verbal and romantic games, with a wholehearted enjoyment of linguistic pretension and absurdity. In <em>Antony and Cleopatra</em>, while there is also wit and flirtation, the story is focused on the conflict between duty and desire within an epic geopolitical situation. We’ll carry out detailed readings of specific scenes in order to delve into these themes, as well as discussing the particular challenges of each piece and how theatre directors bring them to life in different ways.</p><ul><li>Discuss two of Shakespeare’s plays in an informed and confident manner;</li><li>Identify significant themes and describe how these might be illuminated in performance;</li><li>Identify key features of Shakespeare’s verse, and how his use of language brings characters to life and creates a world. </li></ul><p>No previous knowledge is required, just an interest in reading, considering and discussing the plays.</p><p> </p><p>Tutor mini-lecture, small and large group discussion and some reading aloud of the play texts for anyone who wishes to participate. Extracts of filmed performances will be used where available, exploring 'text to performance'. Work outside of class is to do the assigned reading for each week and individual research for those who wish.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Please buy or borrow copies of <em>Love’s Labour’s Lost</em> and <em>Antony and Cleopatra (any edition)</em>.</p><p>Look for other Drama courses in the Literature programme at History, Culture ande Humanities/Literature/Drama at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureDramavirtual175219142HLT307NONEWed13/05/26 - 01/07/2615:00 - 17:0015:0017:008 sessions (over 8 weeks)85-10 weeksDaytimeWeekdayKSKeeley StreetLaura BaggaleyAvailable courses2026-05-13T00:00:00+00:00May 2026Culture, history & humanities219219Reading Shakespeare: a director's perspective - Love's Labour's Lost & Antony & Cleopatrareading-shakespeare-a-director-s-perspective-love-s-labour-s-lost-antony-cleopatra/hlt307-2526<p>Take a fresh look at Shakespeare, exploring selected plays in the company of an experienced theatre director. With performance in mind, we will examine the language and themes of two plays, watch and compare clips of stage productions and discuss the extraordinary variety to be found in Shakespeare’s work.</p><p> </p><p> </p>0000-Available|2026-05-13 00:00:00<p>On this eight-week in-person literature course, we will read and explore scenes from two contrasting Shakespeare plays: <em>Love’s Labour’s Lost</em> and <em>Antony and Cleopatra</em>. Examining how the pieces portray comic and tragic romance, and setting them within the chronology of Shakespeare’s plays, we will consider how a theatre director might approach the scripts with a view to performance.</p><p>Take a fresh look at Shakespeare, exploring selected plays in the company of an experienced theatre director. With performance in mind, we will examine the language and themes of two plays, watch and compare clips of stage productions and discuss the extraordinary variety to be found in Shakespeare’s work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Both plays deal with the theme of love, tackling them in radically different ways. In <em>Love’s Labour’s Lost</em>, the plot is full of verbal and romantic games, with a wholehearted enjoyment of linguistic pretension and absurdity. In <em>Antony and Cleopatra</em>, while there is also wit and flirtation, the story is focused on the conflict between duty and desire within an epic geopolitical situation. We’ll carry out detailed readings of specific scenes in order to delve into these themes, as well as discussing the particular challenges of each piece and how theatre directors bring them to life in different ways.</p><ul><li>Discuss two of Shakespeare’s plays in an informed and confident manner;</li><li>Identify significant themes and describe how these might be illuminated in performance;</li><li>Identify key features of Shakespeare’s verse, and how his use of language brings characters to life and creates a world. </li></ul><p>No previous knowledge is required, just an interest in reading, considering and discussing the plays.</p><p> </p><p>Tutor mini-lecture, small and large group discussion and some reading aloud of the play texts for anyone who wishes to participate. Extracts of filmed performances will be used where available, exploring 'text to performance'. Work outside of class is to do the assigned reading for each week and individual research for those who wish.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Please buy or borrow copies of <em>Love’s Labour’s Lost</em> and <em>Antony and Cleopatra (any edition)</em>.</p><p>Look for other Drama courses in the Literature programme at History, Culture ande Humanities/Literature/Drama at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureDramaconfigurable
11891187Dramahttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/literature/drama-plays-and-players1/2/285/1177/1187/11891/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Drama
