Just A Quickie with... Timon Of Athens movement director Madeline Shann

"I'm very excited to be the first and I hope I won't be the last! I think that with Shakespeare there are so many timeless social observations and values, so the plays can still speak to us and be relevant to our own experiences even after all this time. Sometimes though people find some of the conventions and language to be a barrier for this understanding and I think that what movement does is to transcend that barrier, making the work more accessible and engaging.

"For the company, we've worked extensively with developing character idiosyncrasies into more stylised movement; we've worked with timing and musicality; and we've worked with moving and dancing together as an ensemble.

"These skills will not only be another string to the actors' bows and be crucial if the company work with movement again, but I think this way of thinking and engaging with roles and scenes will also help to inform the creation and performance of characters in future."

What will you bring out in terms of physicality and movement?

"Firstly and more importantly, I think it will bring fun. We had a lot of fun making choreography for the banquet scenes to really bring those to life and we think the audience will have fun watching them. I also worked with movement and ensemble to draw out a sense of Timon's friends surrounding and outnumbering him; that he does not realise until it is too late that if he is not in their favour, he is at their mercy."

Are such skills for actors becoming increasingly important?

"I think there is a trend towards using increasingly diverse disciplines in theatre, as theatre-makers look for new and engaging ways to create worlds and tell stories, so for performers, versatility is becoming more important. Movement skills for actors are growing more important, as movement can bring so much to a piece: change the pace, the tone, the atmosphere, and can be uniquely emotionally resonant and memorable."