David Tennant, Patrick Stewart and Tamsin Greig join RSC’s Homework Help during lockdown

On: May 11, 2020, By: Bill Young

Photo: David-Tennant.com

As if I needed another reason to like David Tennant, Patrick Stewart and Tamsin Greig. With UK schools shuttered as of 23 March leaving schoolchildren across the UK struggling to understand Shakespeare during the lockdown, thanks to the Royal Shakespeare Company, students will be able to get tips and insights from leading actors who have perform in his plays.

At a time when actors can’t rehearse or perform due to COVID-19, many of them are giving back by answering students’ questions online, including Charlotte Arrowsmith, David Bradley, Niamh Cusack, Noma Dumezweni, Paapa Essiedu, Tamsin Greig, Patrick Stewart and David Tennant.

Questions can be about specific plays, speeches,a line the student has found difficult to understand, or about how actors and directors work together, nothing is off the table during this unprecedented time. Anything and everything about Shakespeare’s comedies, tragedies or about Shakespeare, himself, were welcome. While student questions were to be sent by Sunday with the answers posted beginning today, it can be most helpful to non-students as well who find themselves with time on their hands during the lockdown.

David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch, Good Omens, Hamlet), Sir Patrick Stewart (Hamlet, As You Like It, Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, Othello), Tamsin Greig (Twelfth Night) and David Bradley are among a host of big names joining the Homework Help initiative being run by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Students with questions were to email them to homeworkhelp@rsc.org.uk or share them using the hashtag #RSCHomeworkHelp on Twitter or Instagram.

David Tennant To Take Part In RSC’s New Homework Help Project https://t.co/yUh92oRLI9 pic.twitter.com/gUMuOoeT9f

— David-Tennant.com (@davidtennantcom) April 27, 2020

Jacqui O’Hanlon, RSC director of education, said: “As children and parents across the UK adjust to their new virtual classrooms, this gives us a new challenge and opportunity to extend our support and to work with artists from the RSC’s performance history. They will answer any questions young people want answered about Shakespeare and theatre generally.”

Artistic director Gregory Doran added: “Although the RSC is in lockdown and operating with a skeleton team, it is important that we continue to offer support to students, families and teachers across the country.”