LAMDA Performing Shakespearean Text 3

Question 1

What does it mean to 'act on the line' in Shakespearean performance, as opposed to between the lines?

Accepted Answer

To let the action and intention live in the speaking of the words themselves

Answer

Shakespeare's text is the action — 'acting on the line' means the character's thought, feeling, and intention are expressed through the precise words, not in pauses around them.

Question 2

In the verse line 'The quality of mercy is not strained,' what is the metrical pattern of the opening foot?

Accepted Answer

A trochaic inversion (DUM-da)

Answer

The line opens with 'THE qua-' — 'THE' receives stress as a trochaic inversion, drawing attention to the word 'quality' that follows.

Question 3

When preparing a Shakespearean monologue for LAMDA, why is paraphrasing the text into modern English a useful rehearsal tool?

Accepted Answer

To ensure the performer genuinely understands the meaning before returning to Shakespeare's words

Answer

Paraphrasing tests genuine comprehension of sense and intent, so the performer can then bring that clear understanding back into Shakespeare's exact language.

Question 4

The dramatic device of 'aside' in Shakespeare requires the performer to:

Accepted Answer

Address the audience directly while other characters pretend not to hear

Answer

An aside is a convention where a character speaks directly to the audience (or themselves) while other onstage characters are understood by convention not to hear.

Question 5

Which element does LAMDA particularly assess in a candidate's handling of long Shakespearean speeches?

Accepted Answer

Sustained thought and the ability to track the argument from beginning to end

Answer

LAMDA looks for the ability to follow and communicate the arc of a speech's reasoning, showing that the performer holds a single continuous thread of thought.

(LAMDA) London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Practice Test

(LAMDA) London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Practice Test

LAMDA Performing Shakespearean Text 3