Drawing on a lifetime's experience of playing Shakespearean roles, Oliver Ford Davies offers practical advice to actors, directors and drama students on a wide variety of scenes, characters, speeches and individual lines from almost every one of the plays. The three core sections of "Performing Shakespeare" take us through the whole process of Preparation, Rehearsal and Performance, preceded by discussions of the Elizabethan actor and Shakespeare's language. Also included are revealing interviews with other notable Shakespearean actors including Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Harriet Walter, Simon Russell Beale and Juliet Stevenson.

About the Author

Oliver Ford Davies was a university lecturer, and then a regional drama critic for the Guardian, before turning to acting. In a long career, he has played major roles for the RSC and the National Theatre. In Feb 2007 he starred in Soldier's Fortune at the Young Vic. His previous book was Playing Lear, published by NHB in 2003.

Reviews

'It would be a mistake to assume that this terrific book is purely for those who tread the boards. It should be read by anyone who wants to understand more about the Bard, his players, his times and today's interpretations of his stupendous creations... A great book for anyone who loves the theatre.' Observer 'an invaluable guide to those who act and to all those who wish to gain deeper insights into the performance of Shakespeare's plays' Stanley Wells from his Foreword 'brings alive the experience of feeling one's way through the play... an authority that teachers and students might envy' Guardian on Playing Lear