Introduction to this Blog

I am a theatre practitioner and English graduate whose appreciation of Shakespeare has been informed through practical work with actors in a rehearsal room (and in performance) rather than through my academic studies.  It's not that the academic stuff hasn't made sense... just that it hasn't made as much sense as my practical experiences.

As a result you won't find much in the way of academic references or textbook theories in this blog.  But you might find some thought-provoking ideas and insights into various Shakespearean texts and the way they are constructed.

All the theories and suggestions have been developed over many years working on individual scenes and whole plays, and none of them were specifically sought or expected along the way.  But as we rehearsed the words on the page, I found ideas and concepts unravelling in ways which inspired and challenged me.  I now offer the most tried and tested of these ideas for wider consideration.

The theories revolve around a number of core texts - those specific texts which I have explored comprehensively with innumerable actors. I have become particularly fascinated with Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet - texts which I believe are commonly misrepresented.  Beyond these I have had the opportunity to work extensively on Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Richard III, Henry V, The Tempest, Cymbeline, Othello, Hamlet and King Lear.  While other plays may not feature prominently in this blog at this time, my practical explorations have added to my understanding of all of Shakespeare's writing and the ideas I will be expressing can be transferred with value to any of his texts.

Above all my Shakespeare is a playwright.  I hope you find him of interest.