Geek Drama by Holly Smale

Author:Holly Smale [Holly Smale]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2015-02-01T16:00:00+00:00

ow, I know quite a lot about Shakespeare.

I know that:

• He used 31,534 different words to write 37 plays and 154 sonnets.

• 1,700 of those words were made up.

• He invented the expressions ‘wild goose chase’, ‘in a pickle’, ‘one fell swoop’ and ‘all of a sudden’.

• The only remaining example of Shakespeare’s actual writing is his own name …

• Which was never once spelled William Shakespeare.

None of this is of any help during our first rehearsal.

In fact, it almost definitely makes things worse.

“Now,” Miss Hammond says as we stand in an awkward, shuffling circle. “The key thing to remember about any play is that it’s not about the words.”

“Uh-huh,” Mr Bott says from where he’s reading a book in the corner. “Shame nobody told William Shakespeare.”

Miss Hammond gives him a brief look.

“A play,” she says, turning back to us and swooshing her hands together, bracelets a-jangling, “is first and foremost about expression. About emotion. About feeling the story, in your heart, in your bones, in your very soul.”

“And then conveying that story with words.”

“Thank you, Mr Bott,” Miss Hammond says, turning her back on him. “So let’s put those silly words aside for today, shall we? It’s time to let ourselves be. To loosen up and let those beautiful emotions just pour out of us like sunshine.”

I glance briefly at Mr Bott.

I’m with him on this one. The sun’s power is about 386 billion billion megawatts. If it was coming out of us, we’d definitely know about it.

“I’m confused,” Mia whispers. “Does this mean we’re doing mime?”

“Everybody crouch on the floor!” Miss Hammond cries, spreading her recently henna-tattooed hands out. “Quickly!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Nat snaps in a low voice. “These are brand-new trousers.”

“Hamlet doesn’t crouch,” Christopher complains, folding his arms. He’s still wearing a black jumper with a turtleneck. “Hamlet is royalty.”

“She said everybody,” Mr Bott snaps loudly. “Get on the floor immediately, Christopher, and stop referring to yourself in the third person.”

Christopher grumbles his way into a small huddled position. “No wonder I end up killing everyone,” he mutters under his breath.

Miss Hammond smiles enthusiastically at us.

“Now,” she says. “Curl up tightly. You are a bud from which a delicate flower is going to grow. Tap deep, deep into the soil and find the emotion of your character. Draw it into you like water.”

I glance across at Nat from where I’m tucked up with my chin on my knees. She mimes sucking from a straw like a little pet gerbil, and we both start sniggering quietly into our trousers.

“Now uncurl your leaves, slowly, and reach up to the light of emotional truth.”

Everybody starts awkwardly sticking their hands out and waving them around like fish fins.

“Miss,” Raya complains, “Noah’s leaves keep touching my leaves.”

“Keep your leaves to yourself, Noah,” Mr Bott says sharply.

“That’s it,” Miss Hammond smiles, wiggling her fingers as she wanders between us with her necklaces jingling. “Now stretch up, up, up and grow into the characters you are meant to be. Really feel it.

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