I approached this first rehearsal having written detailed notes on my directorial plans. The notes contained step-by-step stage directions as well as help with characters, and were given to the actors at the start of the rehearsal. My thoughts in doing this were that it would hopefully make it easier for the actors and would enable this first rehearsal to get started quicker. These notes were not as successful in this rehearsal as I had hoped however, as there was less than sufficient reading time for the actors to fully digest the detailed instructions and I ended up having to repeat most of the notes to them verbally. I still stick by the decision to have notes ready for the rehearsal as they did assist me directorially, ensuring that I would not forget all my plans for this scene during a hectic rehearsal session.
             As this was a first rehearsal and the actors were approaching the play for the first time, I felt it may assist their process of getting to know their characters if they read a modern-day version of the text. However, I underestimated the knowledge of Shakespeare the actors already had, and this modern version just wasted time as the original text in this scene is fairly self-explanatory.
             As a director, I had the task of setting this scene in modern day theatrical conditions. I therefore had full use of lighting, the auditorium, different special effects and staging techniques which I decided to take full advantage of in my production. I decided to set my version of Hamlet in a traditional proscenium arch setting, with the hope of involving the audience more by using the aisle of the auditorium as an entrance and exit for the actors in this scene. The idea was that each character entering to attend duty on the barracks would walk down the aisle of the stalls and climb up a ladder up onto the stage. This, of course, could not be successfully recreated in this rehearsal as we had no raised level to act as a stage. ...