My Shakespeare

A Director’s Journey through the First Folio

My Shakespeare cover

My Shakespeare

A Director’s Journey through the First Folio

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Description

THE TIMES' BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

This book charts the personal and professional journey of Greg Doran, Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2012 until 2022 and "one of the great Shakespearians of his generation" (Sunday Times).

During his illustrious career, Doran has directed or produced all of the plays within Shakespeare's First Folio -- a milestone reached in the same year that the world celebrates the 400th anniversary of its original publication.

Each chapter looks at a different play, considering the choices made and weaving in both autobiographical detail and background on the RSC, as well as giving insights into key collaborations, including those with actors such as Judi Dench, David Tennant, Harriet Walter, Patrick Stewart, Simon Russell Beale, Paterson Joseph and Doran's husband, the late Antony Sher, as well as seminal practitioners such as Cicely Berry, John Barton and Terry Hands. The book also includes 16 striking pages with stills from some of the RSC plays.

Through Doran's account of this extraordinary journey, we see how Henry VIII, initially regarded as a poisoned chalice, became his lucky break; how the tragedy of 9/11 unfolded during a matinee of King John and how the language of the play went some way in helping to articulate the unfathomable; how a RSC supporter bequeathed their skull to the company to be used as Yorick in Hamlet; how meeting Nelson Mandela inspired the production of Julius Caesar; how Falstaff was introduced to China for the very first time; and how arachnophobia informed the production of Macbeth.

This book uniquely captures the excitement, energy, surprises, joys and agonies of working on these greatest of plays; sheds new light on these plays through Doran's own research and discoveries made in the rehearsal room; and gives unprecedented access into the craft, life and loves of this exceptional director.

My Shakespeare is also available in audiobook format from audiobook retailers.

Table of Contents

Chapter Page
Introduction 8
1 Romeo and Juliet: A Prologue 9
2 Titus Andronicus 23
3 Henry VIII, or All is True. 31
4 The Merchant of Venice 39
5 The Winter's Tale 45
6 Timon of Athens 50
7 Macbeth 55
8 As You Like It 65
9 King John 69
10 Much Ado About Nothing 75
11 The Taming of The Shrew 85
12 All's Well That Ends Well 92
13 Othello 98
14 Venus & Adonis 110
15 A Midsummer Night's Dream 116
16 Antony & Cleopatra 127
17 Merry Wives: The Musical 134
18 Coriolanus 139
19 Hamlet 144
20 Love's Labour's Lost 153
21 Twelfth Night 161
22 Julius Caesar 168
23 Richard II 176
24 Henry IV Part One 183
25 Henry IV Part Two 200
26 Henry V 203
27 King Lear 209
28 The Tempest 217
29 Troilus and Cressida 225
30 Measure for Measure 231
31 The Comedy of Errors (a lockdown chapter) 235
32 Henry VI Part One 240
33 Henry VI Part Two 249
34 Henry VI Part Three 253
35 Richard III 255
36 Cymbeline: An Epilogue 268

Product details

Published Apr 20 2023
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 376
ISBN 9781350330191
Imprint Methuen Drama
Illustrations 32 colour illus
Dimensions 9 x 6 inches
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Greg Doran

Greg Doran has been described as “one of the supre…

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