Drama Games for Exploring Shakespeare

By Alanna Beeken and Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation

This dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book, part of the bestselling Drama Games series, offers dozens of games to help bring Shakespeare's plays to life in the classroom or rehearsal room – making them fun and accessible to actors, students, directors and teachers.
Inspired by the work of leading cultural education charity Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation, this book offers a wide range of activities to tackle every aspect of the plays, including:
- Warm-ups and General Games to establish an atmosphere of focus, connection, support and fun – all the conditions you need for a successful session
- Story and World-building to explore the events, environments and societies of Shakespeare's plays
- Introducing Shakespeare's Language to break down the text and allow participants to uncover the meaning through play and creative discovery
- Activating Shakespeare's Language to liberate actors from the script through movement and voice-work
- Character to help develop compelling, believable performances by investigating motivations and relationships, circumstances and emotions
- Staging to help empower every member of the ensemble in moments that might be challenging to stage – such as big movement sequences, fights and battles and intimate love scenes
Whatever your reason for exploring Shakespeare – whether you're directing a production, teaching a set text, or introducing his work to young people for the first time – this essential resource will give you the tools you need to demystify the language, take ownership of the plays, and find a connection to the words that resonates in our own time.
'This wonderful book will be an invaluable resource for anyone approaching the teaching or directing of Shakespeare, whether novice or veteran' Paterson Joseph, from his Foreword

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Release date: Apr 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9781788506472

Alanna Beeken

Alanna Beeken is a writer and consultant working in arts education. She was Creative and Festival Director of the Shakespeare Schools Festival, the flagship project of Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation.

Book preview

PART ONE

WARM-UPS AND GENERAL GAMES

‘The play’s the thing’

Hamlet

These games are great for warming up your cast and preparing them for rehearsals, but they do much more than that. They will establish an atmosphere of focus, connection, support and fun – all the conditions needed for making great theatre. They will also help you to build an engaged and supportive ensemble, who are willing to take risks, be silly and help each other. We have put Shakespeare’s characters and language at the heart of these games so that the intrinsic connection between Shakespeare and fun is clear.

These games can, and should, be used at any time in your process, not just at the start of rehearsals. You will find that they spark ideas, refresh a rehearsal room and lead to some of your best creative discoveries. Never underestimate the power of play – it is how we learn from the moment we are