When was the last time you saw a show where you felt entirely compelled to stand up at the end and cheer? For me, I don’t stand up very often. For me to give a show a standing ovation, it needs to be incredible. I wanted the play to be suppler, and to show rather than tell. Even speeches that hit the mark in both centuries – as when Lloyd Malcolm skewers the exoticisation of women of colour, or writes so beautifully about the cost of becoming a mother to women’s sense of self – are often proclaimed rather than embodied.

The unique thing about this show is that it’s entirely the effort of women. The cast, crew, and band are all women, which makes the massively feminist context of the show even more powerful. Every woman has a presence on the stage, and what makes it even greater is the vast diversity of the cast, including several disabled actors (who are cast purely because they’re incredible actors, and not because their disabilities have any bearing on the plot).

Every line of dialogue is important, and not a single part of the show feels out of place of unneeded. It’s so cleverly constructed, and I can’t remember the last time I saw a show where I loved the writing so much that I want to buy the fulls script so I can read it and annotate it to death. Through role-play, children can dramatise situations, use their imaginations to pretend to be someone else and explore risky situations from the safety of the classroom. The benefits of role-playing are seeing new perspectives, supporting social skills through interactions with other children, increased confidence and empathy and helping children solve problems using their imagination! The play was commissioned for the Shakespeare's Globe where it opened from 10 August 2018 running until 1 September. The production featured an all-female cast and was directed by Nicole Charles. Emilia Lanier née Bassano was one of the first English women to publish a book of poetry, the rumoured “Dark Lady” in Shakespeare’s sonnets and, as asserted by some, Shakespeare himself. This all-but-erased historical figure is the subject of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s Olivier award-winning play, which was first commissioned for Shakespeare’s Globe before heading to London’s West End. Three actors play the 16th century poet at different ages, with known facts about Emilia’s life overlaid with conjecture on her rich interiority, motivations and how her words were used against her and for her.

An archive recording of the West End play Emilia will be made available to watch next month. After last year's performances at the Vaudeville Theatre, audiences can relive the play with the cast and crew via an online livestream on 10 November, with the play then staying online for a further fortnight.

Adam Bede

In October 2020, it was announced that an archive recording of the 2019 West End production would be available to watch online between 10 and 24 November 2020 to support the theatre industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. [3] This date was later extended to December 2nd. [4] Transferring from the Globe, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s play about the seventeenth-century poet Emilia Bassano Lanier has already been widely heralded as ‘rousing’– and it certainly is that. It rouses the audience right to their feet. They whoop and cheer the barnstorming feminist speeches, and literally boo the bad oppressive men. Given that Emilia was for five years the mistress of the Lord Chamberlain, it is not impossible that she and Shakespeare met. But although the evidence of their association is based on an unproven claim by AL Rowse, it allows Lloyd Malcolm to turn Emilia into a living symbol of exploited women, and to show her interrupting a performance of Othello where even her name has been lifted. years ago Emilia Bassano wanted her voice to be heard. It wasn’t. Could she have been the “Dark Lady” of Shakespeare’s sonnets? What of her own poems? Why was her story erased from history? The Reggio Emilia Approach is a philosophy and pedagogy of education which focuses on early years children. Developed by Loris Malaguzzi alongside parents in the villages surrounding Reggio Emilia in Italy, this pedagogy was developed during the post-World War II era, when Italy saw significant economic and social development, and alongside it a widespread desire for change, in education and beyond.

It can be really fun; this is a gently meta-theatrical and very jolly historical romp of a show, in the mould of ‘Nell Gwyn’ or ‘Shakespeare in Love’. The winkingly modern perspective on the nonsense men spouted and women were expected to put up with is frequently amusing. But the writing and delivery can also be dreadfully on the nose. Our problems are not the same as those of women 400 years ago. It makes the feminist arguments broad and, well, pretty basic. Emilia is a play by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm inspired by the life of the 17th century poet and feminist Emilia Bassano, as well as her speculated role as William Shakespeare's " Dark Lady." Emilia the Play transferred from The Globe to London West End’s Vaudeville Theatre, and sadly ends its run on June 1st, 2019. The play, written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, gives us a glimpse into the life of the seventeenth-century poet Emilia Bassano Lanier, who was allegedly one of Shakespeare’s muses. Following the run at the Globe, the production was announced to transfer into the West End at the Vaudeville Theatre from 8 March 2019. The limited run was due to end on 15 June, however it was announced that it would be closing two weeks early on 1 June 2019. [1]In a four-star review for LondonTheatre.co.uk, Mark Shenton said: "This is a play that speaks to today, as a woman finds her own story and the voice to tell it with. As fiercely embodied by not one but three actors - Saffron Coomber, Adelle Leonce and Clare Perkins - she comes alive with passion and conviction." Emiliais nominated for three Olivier Awards, including Best Entertainment or Comedy Play. Four hundred years ago, Emilia Bassano wanted her voice to be heard. It wasn't. Could she have been the 'Dark Lady' of Shakespeare's sonnets? What of her own poetry? Why was her story erased from history? verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Playdough is a fantastic material for children to construct, play and explore their senses with. Add some extra sensory stimulation by creating some special sensory playdoughs so children can learn through exploring new and interesting textures, scents, colours, sounds and even tastes! By giving children the opportunity to play with these engaging sensory playdoughs, they will be able to experiment with all the different qualities that they each bring to the table. Perfect for learning through exploration and investigation and social interaction.

A lot of the Reggio Emilia Approach is focused on the importance of environment as the third teacher. By giving children access to role-playing materials, they will be able to engage in self-directed dramatic play using thoughtfully placed resources around the classroom or learning environment. The approach centres on learners and the construction of knowledge through active experiences. Reggio Emilia activities are self-guided and aim to allow children to have rich educational experiences through hands-on learning and relationship building. Its fundamental principles are respect, responsibility and community, which are to be achieved through exploration, discovery and play. Learn more about Loris Malaguzzi and the Reggio Emilia Approach with this fantastic Early Years Educational Theorists Staff Training Information Sheet.It shows the power that women have when they work together to bring down the patriarchy. It encourages the women in the audience to see the power within themselves, and it tells them to be unafraid to explore their passions and carve a path for themselves in a world that’s still overshadowed by masculinity. Emilia is silly, it’s fun, and it’s completely unsubtle, but the most important word I can think of to describe this show is powerful . It’s about the importance of friendship, strength in numbers, and the power of female ingenuity. There are three teachers of children: adults, other children, and their physical environment.” - Loris Malaguzzi Lloyd Malcolm’s play is often hortatory in tone but, in rescuing Emilia from the shades, it gives her dramatic life and polemical potency. Mud play is an excellent sensory activity that allows children to explore and experiment in nature. Encourage learners to scoop, splat and mould in this hands on learning through play activity. Why not display this Mud Kitchen Skills Action Mat in your mud kitchen to show all of the skills that children practise when exploring mud?