Firstly, it is of paramount importance that the actors involved discuss and give consent to be touched physically. Before each rehearsal, the actors discuss where they are happy to be touched on the body and where are the off-limits zones – not the ‘whys’ of it, just respecting each actor’s ‘wheres.’ This should be done in an open manner with the director present so all cast members hold equal responsibility for respecting each-other’s consent.

In this rehearsal, the actress was exploring where in the text she can use the words and sounds to prod, push, block and accept the advances of the unexpected love interest. You will hear and see how her physicality influenced the forcefulness, reticence or indignation of the character’s thoughts through Shakespeare’s words. The actor in the scene was respectful of his scene partner’s body and his only job was to ‘help’ her to play with the language. Obviously, in a final performance, this level of physical contact may be too much but in early rehearsal, it can be a useful technique to find the weight and rhythm of the text.

Remember – discuss the boundaries of physical contact before starting any rehearsal that involves touching.