How teach Shakespeare: Best A Midsummer Night’s Dream Videos for Schools

14th February 2018 suitcase16 No Comments

Shakespeare wrote plays to be listened to and be watched live. He had his audience of up to 2,000 people between one and at most twenty metres away. I don’t think the plays can be truly understood or enjoyed being ‘watched digitally’.This is what Theresa May replied when I asked her why the Education Department didn’t help schools see live shows. Theatre is experiencing the story through listening to people talk. It is a social experience of the audience and cast, interacting through laughter, gasps or silence. In Tudor theatre the audience were talked directly to in the soliloquies. This is when a character shares directly with the audience their true and deepest thoughts. Quite often these are the lines that resonated through the the past 400 years to live in our culture. So many productions I have been involved with change when they interact with the audience. I think ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is close to a farce and so is even harder to appreciate in any other environment than a live performance.

And I am not agreeing with the government on this one but I know it is useful to familiarise your pupils with the plays before they see it live so here are a few suggestions.

Secondary School: Live at the Globe. The full production from this summer.

Click here to watch the video

Infants and Juniors: CBBC version. Benefits from being live.

Click here to watch the video

A basic introduction for all. Not my favourite in this series.
BBC Shakespeare: The Animated Tales.A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Click here to watch the video

But remember ‘ The PLAY’s the thing….’

How to teach Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

14th February 2018 suitcase16 No Comments

Best ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Book Version for Primary Schools

A Midsummer Nights Dream book story by Andrew Mathews

I think this Orchard adapted story by Andrew Mathews and Tony Ross book is great for Primary schools to get familiar with A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Click here for more info

But remember ‘ The PLAY is the thing….’

Shakespeare Certificate of Performance

14th February 2018 suitcase16 No Comments

If you have completed a Shakespeare in a Suitcase Tale, congratulations on putting on your play.
We hope you had fun and enjoyed the magical story that was told.

Click here to get the bigger image

BBC Education The life of Shakespeare

14th February 2018 suitcase16 No Comments

“There is only one way to experience Shakespeare’s plays and that is live, you have to feel them as an audience or as a performer. This is the best way to understand them. We provide these resources ideas as possible ways in but we are making live entertainment and our shows will bring you the joy of Shakespeare’s theatre. These links are interesting but the plays the thing…”

BBC Education The life of Shakespeare

Watch the video here

Shakespeare ‘a cultural icon’ abroad

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William Shakespeare is the UK’s greatest cultural icon, according to the results of an international survey released to mark the 450th anniversary of his birth.

Five thousand young adults in India, Brazil, Germany, China and the USA were asked to name a person they associated with contemporary UK arts and culture.

Shakespeare was the most popular response, with an overall score of 14%.

The result emerged from a wider piece of research for the British Council.

The Queen and David Beckham came second and third respectively. Other popular responses included JK Rowling, Adele, The Beatles, Paul McCartney and Elton John.

Word cloud: a look at some of the names from the British Council research

Shakespeare proved most popular in China where he was mentioned by 25% of respondents. The lowest score – 6% – was in the US.

Other events to mark Shakespeare’s birthday on Wednesday include a launch event for Shakespeare’s Globe theatre’s two-year world tour of Hamlet.

The tour aims to visit every country in the world. Venues will include Wittenberg in Germany, the Roman theatres of Philippopolis in Bulgaria and Heraclea in Macedonia, the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington and the Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras.

The poet Michael Rosen wrote a celebratory poem for BBC Radio 4’s PM programme in which he picked out his favourite insults from Shakespeare’s works for use by people on social media.

It includes the lines:

“Thou cream faced loon

There’s no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune

Thou art baser than a cutpurse.”

A bugler plays a fanfare for Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon

There will also be a firework display from the top of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon after the evening performance of Henry IV Part I.

Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616 at the age of 52. His actual birth date in 1564 is unknown but it is traditionally celebrated on 23 April.

The British Council – which promotes British culture around the world – is planning a major international programme of events for 2016, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

“The 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death is the biggest opportunity to put UK culture on the world stage since London 2012,” said Sir Martin Davidson, chief executive of the British Council.

“As the most widely read and studied author in the English language, Shakespeare provides an important connection to the UK for millions of people around the world, and the world will be looking to celebrate this anniversary with the UK. We hope that the UK’s cultural organisations will come together to meet these expectations and ensure that 2016 is our next Olympic moment.”

What Was Shakespeare’s Theatre Like?

14th February 2018 suitcase16 No Comments

What Was Shakespeare’s Theatre Like?
A junior entry level explanation of the Globe theatre.
BBC Education Shakespeare Globe theatre.

Watch the video here

But remember ‘ The PLAY’s the thing….’

Best ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Book Version for Primary Schools

But remember ‘ The PLAY is the thing….’

William Shakespeare is the UK’s greatest cultural icon, according to the results of an international survey released to mark the 450th anniversary of his birth.

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