Royal Shakespeare Company: Romeo and Juliet Live Lesson
The RSC commissioned oXyFire to produce a live, interactive Romeo and Juliet lesson from its rehearsal room for 17,000 pupils across the UK.
Opening a rehearsal room to 17,000 pupils
On 25 January 2018, the Royal Shakespeare Company streamed its first Live Lesson directly from the Romeo and Juliet rehearsal room. Presenter Georgia Munnion joined Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman and actors Bally Gill and Karen Fishwick to explore the balcony scene while rehearsals were still developing.
The programme had to make the early creative process clear to pupils watching remotely and support questions and comments arriving from classrooms. The RSC records an audience of 17,000 pupils.
Complete livestream production for an RSC authored lesson
The RSC commissioned us to produce the complete livestream. We owned the broadcast workflow, including camera coverage, live direction, graphics coordination and stream delivery, while the RSC retained editorial responsibility and wrote the lesson content.
Schools sent questions and comments through Twitter during the programme. The production carried that rehearsal room exchange to 17,000 pupils across the UK.
In numbers
The RSC’s first Live Lesson from a rehearsal room
On 25 January 2018, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Live Lesson streamed directly from its Romeo and Juliet rehearsal room. The programme gave pupils an early look at how a director and actors develop a scene while rehearsals are still taking shape.
Presenter Georgia Munnion guided the lesson as Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman worked with Bally Gill and Karen Fishwick on the balcony scene. Classroom questions and comments became part of the live programme.
The RSC commissioned us to produce the complete livestream
The RSC brought we in to produce the full live stream production. We owned the broadcast workflow, including the camera coverage, live direction, graphics coordination and stream delivery.
The RSC retained editorial responsibility for the lesson and wrote the content. This clear division let the broadcast team concentrate on carrying the rehearsal process and classroom participation reliably to the audience.
A specialist team inside a working rehearsal
Kimberly Walker directed the programme, Paul Davies supervised cameras, and Katherine Jewkes worked as producer and floor manager. Ryan Davies, Davy Charles and Alex Doherty joined the production team, with Jay Rozanski producing for us, Simon Taylor operating graphics and Matt Bridger supporting from the office.
The team coordinated the live presentation, camera coverage and graphics around the performance while protecting the pace of the lesson.
Seventeen thousand pupils joined the rehearsal
The RSC records 17,000 pupils watching from classrooms across the UK. Schools sent questions and comments through Twitter during the programme, connecting their responses with the discussion in the rehearsal room.
The audience figure and live interaction show the practical reach of the production. A genuine rehearsal process became an accessible national learning experience while the creative work was still developing.
Why live access to the rehearsal room mattered
The Live Lesson showed creative decisions while they were still being discussed and tested. Camera coverage had to make the actors’ and director’s choices readable to pupils without disrupting a working rehearsal.
Our ownership of the broadcast production gave the RSC a controlled route from an unusual working space to classrooms across the UK. The presenter led format and questions arriving through Twitter kept pupils connected to the lesson as it unfolded.
Our education video production guide explores how learning objectives shape production. See our RSC Faith theatre broadcast for another collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Frequently asked questions
What did the RSC Live Lesson cover?
The lesson explored the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet and showed how a director and actors develop their interpretation during rehearsals.
What did you produce for the RSC?
The RSC commissioned us to produce the complete livestream, including the broadcast workflow, camera coverage, graphics coordination and stream delivery. The RSC wrote the lesson content.
How many pupils watched the RSC Live Lesson?
The Royal Shakespeare Company records an audience of 17,000 pupils watching from classrooms across the UK.
How could schools take part?
Schools sent questions and comments through Twitter during the live programme.
