The next Academy year is nearly upon us and applications are coming in now for the new intake of Fools, so we are proud to present the following events and courses programmed for the next few months…

August 31st 2010 – Application Deadline
Applications for next year’s Academy must be in by the 31st August. This year we are focussing our attentions on professional development and are looking for new Fools who have had at least 5 years experience in a professional capacity and who are intent on developing themselves as performers with a view to joining the ever growing professional theatre company ‘A Company of Fools’ after they have completed the year of training. In 2011 we are expecting to begin auditioning for the next Shakespeare play, which means this year will be the last opportunity for new Fools to train before we commence with our next production.

September 11 & 12th September – Auditions
This weekend long audition starts Saturday morning at 10am, so applicants are recommended to arrive on the Friday night. We will begin with a workshop by Jonathan Kay and then in the afternoon applicants will be asked to perform a short 5 minute piece, bearing in mind we want to see you use of the Fooling Structure and your ability to work with an audience. On the Sunday each applicant will be privately interviewed to discuss the logistics for participating in the year ahead and discuss the fee they are donating for the training.

1st – 8th October – Closed Workshop
A week of group bonding and structure reviewing.

9th & 10th October – Weekend Workshop, Vic, Catalonia
The first weekend workshop that the general public will be able able to attend, meet the new Fools, and discover the first three stages of Jonathan Kay’s unique Fooling Structure.

15th – 24th October – A Company of Fools Tour in Pezenas, South France
A long week of events including a seven night run of Richard II, Improvised Nights of a Comedia del Tragik nature, Musical Jam Nights, Foolish Food Nights and a Weekend Introductory Workshop to Fooling.

1st – 21st November – Professional 3 Week Training in Fooling, London
The first of Jonathan Kay’s new Fooling Training programmes. These courses are aimed at professionals with at least five years experience in their work and a desire to perform. CV’s and a completed application form will be required. The aim of each programme is to create performances to run on the last weekend of the course (the training will not run on any other weekends during the course).

12th -21st November – A Company of Fools Tour in Berlin
A long week of events including a seven night run of Richard II, Improvised Nights of a Comedia del Tragik nature, Musical Jam Nights, Foolish Food Nights and a Weekend Introductory Workshop to Fooling.

We hope you can join us at all or some of these events. The full programme for the following year are available on the website calender. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us on info@jonathankay.co.uk

October – Vic, Barcelona, October – Pezenas, South France, November – Berlin, Germany

February – Glastonbury, England, March – Birmingham, England, April – Liverpool, England

May – Brighton, England

This is a story about ambition and usurpation…

Nor I, nor any man that but man is,

With nothing shall be pleased till he be eased

With being nothing.

Have you ever been usurped? Have you ever usurped another?

The Nomadic Academy of Fools developed this production over a year, touring their work in progress throughout the UK and Europe, presenting to audiences through feedback led ‘Scratch nights’. This work is created using a delicate and intimate theatrical structure called Fooling, devised by the Director and world famous fool Jonathan Kay. The structure opens up the performers inner world, turning the artists inside out, so their imaginations create the costume, props and set; their private world the paint palette for their emotions. Then, working in complicity, the artists create the characters out of shapes, with several performers playing parts at the same time. Thus revealing the characters hidden depths and changing moods. The result is magical, detailed and rich. A visual feast, even for those who do not readily appreciate Shakespeare!

Richard was Plantagenet king of England from 1377 to 1399 and was usurped by Henry IV, who was of the house of Lancaster.

Richard was born on 6 January 1367 in Bordeaux, the son of Edward, the Black Prince and grandson of Edward III, a much respected king. Richard’s father died in 1376 and his grandfather the following year, making Richard king at the age of 10. The country was ruled largely by his uncle, John of Gaunt. The first crisis of Richard’s reign was the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. The young king bravely rode out to meet the rebels, who were led by Wat Tyler. Tyler was killed and the revolt crushed.

This play opens with King Richard II at the age of 30 and his uncle John of Gaunt trying to convince Henry Bolingbroke (Gaunt’s son) and Thomas Mowbray (Duke of Norfolk, Richard’s closest friend) to settle a quarrel. Bolingbroke is accusing Mowbray of murdering Richard’s uncle and Gaunt’s brother, the Duke of Gloucester (Thomas of Woodstock). Richard has become an unpopular king during the last 20 years and is currently locked in a battle of wills between the status quo of his uncles and Richard’s new ideas, especially his new notion of Divine Descent.

Since William the Conqueror the blood line has run directly from father to son for 300 years. Henry’s usurpation splits the bloodline, resulting in nearly ninety years of bloody battle, until the War of the Roses settles things once and for all in 1485, when the Lancastrian Henry VII is crowned king, starting the united Tudor dynasty during which Shakespeare was born.