Joan Iyiola is an award-winning actress, filmmaker and co-founder of Apatan Productions. She was a member of the RSC for three seasons (2012-2018), including playing the title role in The Duchess of Malfi. Other stage roles include - White Devil, Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Life Galileo, Boris Godunov, The Roaring Girl, Arden of Favesham, Orphan of Zhao (RSC), Changing Destiny (Young Vic, written by Ben Okri), Tree (Young Vic, co-created by Idris Elba and Kwame Kwei-Armah), A Season in a Congo (Young VIc, directed by Joe Wright), Boudica (Globe) They Drink it in the Congo (Almeida) Eclipsed &The Convert (Gate Theatre, written by Danai Gurira). For screen she is the creator of award-winning films MANGO and DỌLÁPỌ̀ IS FINE (HBO Netflix, Disney+), and her acting roles include Everything Now (Netflix), Disclaimer (Apple TV), Too Close (ITV), McDonald and Dodds (ITV), Enterprice S1&2 (BBC), Twice as Good (Film 4) Black Earth Rising (BBC/NETFLIX), New Blood (BBC/NETFLIX) and Denial (BBC/Netflix).
CLAIRE CARTWRIGHT - Founder of FRIENDS WITH SHAKESPEARE - is an actress, writer, producer and educator. She focused on Shakespeare during her English Literature degree at Edinburgh University and continued this focus while training as an actress at ALRA. Claire has been teaching Shakespeare to both students and adults for over 15 years.
She has played a number of Shakespeare’s leading ladies in London and around the world, including Portia (The Merchant of Venice), Lady Macbeth - twice…best not read too much into that! (Macbeth), Hermione (The Winter’s Tale), Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing) and Peaseblossom … indisputably the leading fairy, if not the leading lady (A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
Beyond Shakespeare, Claire has appeared in many theatrical productions, including leading the cast of The Mousetrap in the West End for a year. She most recently appeared in Dylan Southern’s film, The Thing With Feathers, opposite Benedict Cumberbatch.
“A very enriching experience that offers something for everyone, regardless of their experience or knowledge of Shakespeare. Claire is a wonderful host who really puts you at ease as well as drawing fascinating insights from a deep pool of historical context. I loved it and wouldn’t hesitate to book again.”
“What a FABULOUS course. Claire is not only a Shakespeare wizard, but a wonderful & inspiring teacher too. Spending an evening a week in her cosy and inviting flat, reading and discussing Shakespeare, while drinking wine was a total treat. And clearly the only way to ‘do’ Shakespeare. I didn’t want the course to end.”