Speaking Shakespeare

Description

'You can't act Shakespeare until you can speak him.' This book by one of the world's leading voice coaches goes to the heart of acting Shakespeare. From the basics of verse-speaking through to the rehearsal of leading roles from Hamlet, King Lear, Richard III, Macbeth and others, Patsy Rodenburg unlocks some of the greatest challenges that any actor will ever encounter. Combining clear practical, textual and imaginative work with a brilliant analysis of scenes and speeches from the whole range of his plays, this is an essential and inspiring guide for anyone working with Shakespeare today.

Patsy Rodenburg, OBE, is Professor of Text and Poetry at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, UK, after serving as Head of Voice from 1981-2016. In 1981 she was appointed the Voice Coach for the Royal Shakespeare Company, responsible for the works of the Company in London, and in 1990 was appointed the first Head of Voice at the Royal National Theatre where she ran the department until 2006. She has worked with theatre companies across the UK including Theatre de Complicite, Shared Experience, Cheek by Jowl and the Royal Court, having coached numerous West End and Broadway productions. Patsy has also worked at many major theatre companies all over the world, including Stratford Festival Theatre (Ontario, Canada), Kabuki Theatre (Japan), Indian National Theatre (Mumbai, Japan), Lithuania National Drama Theatre (Vilnius, Lithuania), Royal Dramatic Theatre (Stockholm, Sweden), The Market Theatre (Johannesburg, South Africa), Beijing Opera (China) and Verbier Festival (Verbier, Switzerland). She has been teaching storytelling to teachers and corporate leaders since 1976. www.patsyrodenburg.co.uk