Shakespeare Society‘s social secretary Michael tells us all about how he first got involved in the society – and the great friends he’s made in the process! If you like performing, or fancy yourself as a backstage or technical whizz, this is definitely a society worth looking into.

What is your society all about?

LSU Shakespeare Society is for people who share a love of acting, performing, directing, and socialising. We are an all-inclusive society, and everyone who auditions is guaranteed a part. We also have opportunities to get involved backstage, and with all the tech.

As well as the love of theatre, for me Shakes is all about making friends – we have such a fantastic diversity of members, it’s a great opportunity to expand your social circles with people you might otherwise not get a chance to meet.

What sort of events are put on by the society?

We put on three Shakespeare shows a year, directed and performed by our society members. This year we are performing The Tempest, then As You Like It, and then Cymbeline.

We also put on socials, events, and, of course, our Winter and our Summer Ball. For every show we also have a t-shirt social and trips out after each performance.

Why, when and how did you join?

I joined the society in freshers of last, my first, year. The first play I was a part of was A Winter’s Tale. I auditioned and got cast as Autolycus. Since then, I’ve also been Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Prince Hal in Henry IV Part 1. I’ve also become part of the committee, as social secretary, and am directing As You Like It next spring.

I’ve made some of the best friends of my life through this society. So, in just my first year at Loughborough University, I’ve become fully integrated into the society. There’s massive opportunity here in Shakes, and being a part of it was the highlight of my first year at uni.

Best or most memorable moments from your time in the society?

Most of my favourite memories from my time in the society are from rehearsals. But one of the other highlights for me was this year’s summer ball. It was my job to write all the awards, and, as we had an under the sea theme, my job to award the king and queen their crowns – which were, of course, potty seats. I’m pretty sure I found it funnier than everyone else, but it was a great evening.

Describe your society in three words…

Fun, Inclusive, Entertaining.

What would you say to someone considering joining?

Join up! It’s lots of fun, not too time consuming, and however big or small a role you want in one of our plays, or if you want to join in with the backstage side of things, you will be welcome!

It’s always good to be part of a society at uni. You get to make loads of new mates, and expand on your passions and hobbies. The range of people you get to meet is a lot larger as well. People in different years, different halls, different courses. In Shakespeare society, we have also had joint socials with Stage Society, as well as the English and Drama department. If you want to perform, make friends, and make the most of your time at uni, join up!

Anything else we should know?

This Halloween, Shakespeare Society and Stage Society are running an official StageSpeare joint social! Oh, and it’s fancy dress. As well as going to watch each other’s plays, and having a lot of overlapping members and mates in our two societies, Stage and Shakespeare are close. So if you’re interested in what you’ve read here, it’s well worth checking out their societies feature as well!

Interested in finding out more? Contact Shakespeare Society via their social media channels here: Facebook, Twitter.

LSU has a huge range of societies – you can find the list of all 115+ societies here.

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