Shakespeare on Toast

Well, it’s been 8 years since Shakespeare on Toast was first published, so we’ve refreshed the cover (butter now, instead of bread) & I’ve added 3 new chapters, a film watch list, and generally given things a good spring clean. BC

Actor, producer and director Ben Crystal revisits his acclaimed book on Shakespeare for the 400th anniversary of his death, updating and adding three new chapters.

Shakespeare on Toast knocks the stuffing from the staid old myth of the Bard, revealing the man and his plays for what they really are: modern, thrilling, uplifting drama.

The bright words and colourful characters of the greatest hack writer are brought brilliantly to life, sweeping cobwebs from the Bard – his language, his life, his world, his sounds, his craft. Crystal reveals man and work as relevant, accessible and alive – and, astonishingly, finds Shakespeare’s own voice amid the poetry.

Whether you’re studying Shakespeare for the first time or you’ve never set foot near one of his plays but have always wanted to, this book smashes down the walls that have been built up around this untouchable literary figure.

A blog: on directing Winter’s Tale, and taking Original Pronunciation into the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

Giving a talk on Shakespeare, Original Pronunciation, and more, in Central London next month. Twill be at 7pm on June 11th at St Mary’s Church, NW3, as part of the Primrose Hill Lectures 2014 series, in association with Primrose Hill Books.

For more details, and to buy tickets, head here: Primrose Hill Lectures 2014 at St Mary’s

Back from a Passion in Practice workshop and Shakespeare on Toast Schools Workshops and a Springboard Shakespeare book tour around the USA. Coached a Company in their Original Pronunciation in Houston, worked with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, colleges in northern and central California, members of the Bristol Faire Ensemble in Chicago, visited the Folger Library in DC, gave a talk and a workshop at the Blackfriars Theatre in Staunton, VA, and spent 10 days in NYC, running workshops and giving talks in celebration of our Bard’s 450th.

A terrific month.

Back to the UK, to finish work on the new Oxford Illustrated Dictionary of Shakespeare for OUP that lands April 2015, that I’m co-writing with my father, and a book on accents for Macmillan called You Say Potato, that he’s writing with me, which will land October 2014.

Meanwhile, am getting ready to direct The Winter’s Tale in June, and preparing the Original Pronunciation events for the Shakespeare’s Globe this July.

My Shakespeare Ensemble, Dad and I will be presenting three events in the new Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. An evening of Prose and Poetry on July 10th, an evening of Songs and Sonnets on July 17th, to include new scorings of Shakespeare’s songs composed by Sam Amidon, played live by The Askew Sisters, ending with a cue-script rehearsed, staged reading by candle-light of Macbeth on July 20th – all to be heard in the recreation of the accent Shakespeare’s Company spoke in.

You can hear the accent here: Shakespeare’s Original Pronunciation

Proud to be an ambassador for Shakespeare Week – here’s a piece I wrote for The Telegraph, with my top 5 ways to engage your kids in Shakespeare:

The key fits the lock, the engine growls, the car roars into life, when acted. It’s what the words were written for.

Shakespeare Week

Giving a talk at the British Council, which is open to all to come to, & is apparently being given a LIVE equally free Webcast for those who can’t.

Register here to come/see:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/speaking-the-bright-and-beautiful-english-of-shakespeare-ben-crystal-london-uk-live-via-webcast-registration-9810931761?aff=eorg

Time Magazine interviewed me last week about Shakespeare in Original Pronunciation. Here’s a link to the piece:

Ben Crystal – Time Magazine

The Passion in Practice Workshop last weekend went terrific well. Do head to Passion in Practice Cinematography to see the video footage.

Come and work with the Passion in Practice Company

A day-long intensive workshop, introducing our work towards fresh and accessible approaches to playing Shakespeare.

Over the course of the day we will share our method in finding fluency with Shakespearean text, to discover a truthful and simple way of speaking verse.

The workshop will include:

• Text and rhythm exploration
• Performing Shakespeare with a free physicality
• Speech and scene analysis
• Mini Sonnet workshop with Will Sutton  **NEW**
• RP accent absolutely not required…

Places limited

COST
£50 / £40*

DATE
14th September, 10-6pm

WHERE
Central London – Moving East

Interested participants please email your CV by clicking here

*Early bird rate for the first 10 participants