Bedrooms, living rooms and a forest in Finland became the backdrops for a range of pandemic-enforced solo performances by acting degree students from The Northern School of Art.

With their scheduled performance of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at ARC in Stockton-on-Tees halted due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the second year students decided to reach their audience online instead with a series of made-at-home monologues from the production.

As students are now back at home the results were uploaded from locations across the UK and as far afield as Finland, where one of the students, Juho Hankela pictured below left, is now quarantined with his family.

Juho Hankela performing Oberon’s monologue from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Grace Richards performing Puck’s monologue form ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Niamh Nelson performing Helena’s monologue from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Released initially to tie-in with Shakespeare’s birthday on April 23 in response to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) callout to #ShareYourShakespeare, the students’ speeches are also available to view on the School’s social media feeds (*see the links below).

Jonny Bussell, programme leader for the BA (Hons) Acting for Stage and Screen degree said: “The second year students should now be getting ready for opening their production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ so this was a great opportunity to showcase the good work that had been going on in rehearsals prior to lockdown.

“We’re in the process of working with ARC to find a new date for the show once this is all over but it’s been really great to have the opportunity to see the students’ work.”

Josh Dixon performing Egeus monologue from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Kieran Barker performing a monologue from Hamlet

Isaac Bradley performing Bottom’s monologue from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Hannah Ould Performing Helena’s monologue from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

First year acting degree students are also currently working on speeches from ‘Education, Education, Education’ by The Wardrobe Ensemble which they were meant to be performing at the School’s Hartlepool campus theatre in May.

All the students are writing their own monologues that link together which will be shared to be enjoyed from home once edited together.

Jonny added: “All students have also been doing virtual seminars watching some of the amazing theatre shows that are now online and reading a wide range of plays through the Nick Hern Books’ Playgroup.

“It’s been great to see so many amazing theatres and cultural organisations working together to ensure people are still getting their theatre fix.

“We’ve been keeping in touch with all our students and, although all are disappointed shows have had to be re-arranged, they’re all working really hard and looking forward to when we get to put these shows on for a live audience.”

The BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen degree is aimed at providing students with a drama school style experience outside of London and has been designed by working industry professionals to ensure students develop the skills required when performing for stage and screen.

It is one of the wide range of courses offered by The Northern School of Art which is the only provider of specialist creative courses in the North East.

The School has a rating of Gold in the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework meaning students receive some of the highest quality teaching in the UK.

Applications for courses are still being accepted for September. Further details of the acting degree are available here 

* The monologues can be viewed on the School’s Twitter feed here and here, on the School’s FaceBook page here and on the School’s Instagram page here.