Past

Adapting Stories: Reinvent a Classic!

This class has passed
This class has passed

What’s it all about?

Do you love good stories, but often find yourself wishing things had gone differently (did Sirius Black have to die)?

Do you find yourself losing the plot because of old English and poetry (“Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” Did you know that that actually means “why are you Romeo?” and not “where are you Romeo?”).

Would you like to experiment with a story that’s just fine how it is, but might also be great in another context, or with a different ending?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, come along to this class and see how you can adapt any story and make it your own!

What will we cover?

We will start by talking about our favourite plays, books and movies that are adapted from other sources. (Many of the world’s most loved stories are adaptations and re-tellings of existing stories: Shakespeare’s plays, the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales, and many Disney movies, to name a few!)

We will then explore what goes into telling and adapting stories, and what makes adaptations so powerful. Finally we will split up into groups and choose from a few well-known stories and practically adapt them on the spot! If this sounds like hard work, or a lot to fit into 75 minutes, be prepared for a surprise!

Who will be teaching?

Aridhi Anderson is the director of an amateur theatre group called the Day Dream. She loves to adapt classic stories and novels for the stage, and has enjoyed staging her adaptations of works by William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Anton Chekhov, the Brothers Grimm, and others. She is currently working on an adaptation of her favourite novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Apart from reading and adapting classics, Aridhi also enjoys spending time with her family, and with her pet rabbit.