Ever wondered how Shakespeare’s words would have sounded in the accent of the time? I was once told that it would have sounded more like American english, so I was certainly curious when I saw this video. A clever professor chap and his actor son give a side by side comparison of some original text and talk about how they know how it was originally spoke. Interesting stuff. For my part, and I confess to being no professor of language, I would say that it sounds more pirate than american…
Posts categoriezed as Video & Audio Resources
How teach Shakespeare: Best A Midsummer Night’s Dream Videos for Schools
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.
Infants and Juniors: CBBC version. Benefits from being live.
A basic introduction for all. Not my favourite in this series.
BBC Shakespeare: The Animated Tales.A Midsummer Night’s Dream
But remember ‘ The PLAY’s the thing….’
BBC Education The life of Shakespeare
“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
What Was Shakespeare’s Theatre Like?
“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…”
What Was Shakespeare’s Theatre Like?
A junior entry level explanation of the Globe theatre.
BBC Education Shakespeare Globe theatre.