Book Review: EXPLORING SHAKESPEARE. A DIRECTOR'S NOTES FROM THE REHEARSAL ROOM by Bill Alexander

The process of bringing the works of Shakespeare to a Modern Stage is full of challenges, as director Bill Alexander explains in his new book, Exploring Shakespeare. A Director's Notes from the Rehearsal Room. 

In an absorbing glimpse into the rehearsal room, we are introduced to the choices which face both cast and crew when developing a production, from time and pace to backstory and design.

For a theatre practitioner, there is much to digest on the page around character, subtext, and language. When to cut, what to change, where to place emphasis on a line or word, when to explore the drive and motivation of a character, knowing what works and what doesn't, and having a safe space to work it all out.

This part of the book makes fascinating reading for Shakespeare buffs and those completely new to the Bard. Alexander's explanation of the process of taking a text from five hundred years ago and making it new, real, and relevant is well thought out and extremely readable.

The second half of the book looks at a selection of Shakespeare plays in detail, from across his career and of different types. Whether discussing the role of Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, Shylock's motivation in The Merchant of Venice, or the intimacy of language in Hamlet, this section allows us to explore the familiar text and see it with fresh eyes.

A final set of short case studies edges into the personal, specifically detailing the planning around Antony Sher's Richard III, itself detailed from the actor's point of view in Sher's book The Year of the King. Alexander explores how teamwork and close collaboration can bring a play to life.

Exploring Shakespeare, subtitled "a director's notes from the rehearsal room" is an accessible read, in absorbing detail, from someone who has seen it all. This is a personal perspective that will surely be of use to all who read it, and may well make your see your favourite Shakespeare play in quite a different light.

Exploring Shakespeare. A Director's Notes from the Rehearsal Room by Bill Alexander is available now from Nick Hern Books

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