1623 associate artist Jamie Brown shares his thoughts on performing eight of Shakespeare's lovers in The Course of True Love at QUAD, Derby's international arts centre

Looking back to the performance of 1623’s collection show The Course of True Love in Cinema Two at QUAD in April 2011, my thoughts are overwhelmingly positive.

I think that the performance being opened up to the general public as well as its intended audience - GoldsQUAD (a group of ladies aged over 50) - added hugely to the overall success of the day. It was great to see so many people sharing both theatre and the facilities at the venue, and gave another opportunity for QUAD regulars to experience the work of 1623, as well as allowing 1623 regulars to experience the facilities within QUAD. This can only be a good thing for both parties.

The performance itself was very well received, and the company have had some great feedback via their social networking outlets regarding the enjoyment it provided. Cinema Two is well-suited to 1623’s style of performing in non-traditional spaces, and I think the performance highlighted the versatility of both 1623 and QUAD, and the diversity which both establishments can provide for the
people of Derby, and beyond.

Multimedia projection was used during the performance, and this undoubtedly enhanced the aesthetic of the piece, as well as placing the scenes in an immediate context. This is not always possible at other venues, but I think in this case, it seemed to provide great assistance to those unfamiliar with Shakespeare.

Moreover, the projections married the performance and the venue together, which resulted in a production unique to 1623 and QUAD, whereby the performance enhanced the space which, in return, was also able to enhance the performance. Creating unique experiences such as this are always great to be part of, and in my opinion this was one of the major successes of the day, and hopefully provided a memorable experience for the audience who attended. Perhaps, if something similar were to be embarked upon in future, Cinema Two’s audio capabilities could even be explored in order to further enhance performance within the space, as well as making yet further use of the facilities on offer.

Performance aspects aside, one of the main aims of the day was to interact, and gain feedback from QUAD’s GoldsQUAD regarding what they’d seen. This took the shape of an informal discussion directly after the performance. It was fantastic to see that all members of the group seemed to have really engaged with the performance, as thoughts and ideas regarding individual scenes were passed freely around the room. Several interpretations of certain characters and situations were apparent, and this prompted further discussion, creating an environment that encouraged expression of one’s personal viewpoints, as well as provoking some critical thinking, and challenging group to see Shakespeare from different perspectives. This was very refreshing, especially when members who seemed less confident when talking to the group were slowly drawn into the discussion and felt compelled to share their own insights.

From the starting point of The Course of True Love performance, the discussion branched off into several areas, including childhood experiences of Shakespeare, and past productions people had seen, and their thoughts upon them. By the end of the discussion, it was great to see that some members were also keen to take their experience of the day and look further in Shakespeare and his work in their own time. For example, one member expressed an interest in becoming more familiar with the play Pericles, whilst another intended to read Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare, in order to gain more understanding of some of the scenes she’d witnessed that day. To have prompted such desire and interest is a great credit to QUAD and 1623, and to the success of the event, which was a great pleasure to be part of.