Shakespeare: Coriolanus (Age 12+)

A full-throttle war play that revels in the sweat of the battlefield, Coriolanus transports us back to the emergence of the republic of Rome. Caius Martius Coriolanus is a fearless soldier but a reluctant leader. His ambitious mother attempts to carve him a path to political power, but he struggles to change his nature and do what is required to achieve greatness. In this new city state struggling to find its feet, where the gap between rich and poor is widening every day, Coriolanus must decide who he really is and where his allegiances lie. "Let me have war, say I: it exceeds peace as far as day does night: it's sprightly waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible: a getter of more bastard children than war's a destroyer of men." These courses have been running since March 2022, so from September 2025 we're alternating between continuing to explore the complete canon and reprising favourites from three years ago so that new participants get to enjoy the most famous plays. These practical and playful sessions explore Shakespeare’s timeless works. Running the gamut of human experience from tragic to comic, you’ll get to perform speeches and scenes, explore stories and history, and discuss the profound questions posed by a writer who might just be both the greatest and most popular of all time. Sessions are taught by professional actor Charlie Sturgeon, 2018 MA Acting (Classical) graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, leading man of the Australian Shakespeare Company 2013-17 and of course host of our own improv and chatterbox courses.