These audio recordings of the 2008 KS3 Shakespeare scenes are designed to be used in the classroom as a stimulus for interactive, engaging and enjoyable lessons. Not all students and schools are able to see professional Shakespeare productions and these audio files offer an excellent alternative to watching Shakespeare on film.

 

These scenes were created in a studio with a young audience in mind. They were recorded in 2008 – and we have sought to make them as clear, as contemporary and as accessible as possible.

 

These are not recordings of a live theatre performance – they have been recorded in a studio and designed and directed purely to be listened to. Specifically they have been designed to be listened to in stereo – on a personal MP3 player, computer or any other stereo audio system with speakers.

 

The experience of listening to dramatised audio Shakespeare in the classroom offers students the opportunity to use their imagination – to picture their own world of the play. Our audio productions of Shakespeare do have advantages over watching film versions. Film often presents severely cut versions of the full text, focuses more on the visuals than the language, and many of the films of Shakespeare’s plays available have become rather dated.

 

For students to do well in their KS3 Shakespeare paper they need to know the set sections very well indeed. These recordings are the only ones specifically of these sections available at the moment and therefore offer a unique means for students to get to know the text really well.

 

In terms of the assessment requirements for the KS3 Shakespeare paper (Character and motivation - Ideas, themes, issues - The language of the text - Text in performance), these audio files enable discussion of all four elements.

 

We think Shakespeare’s plays are extraordinary – full of great characters, ideas, emotional breadth, and utterly relevant to young people today. The language however is not always easy to get to grips with. Our recordings seek to communicate the meaning of what is being said, using a variety of clear, diverse accents. Our approach to the text is direct and not reverential.

 

The ensemble of actors we use on these recordings, young and older, are all experienced professionals with a real understanding of how to communicate Shakespearean text.

 

Students can be encouraged to reflect on the actor’s performances:

Clearly from a copyright point of view we ask that you do not do multiple copies of these files – it’s unfair to those creating the work. If you do want to get a multiple use license in order to be able to pass copies of an MP3 file to your students or other teachers within a school then contact us, letting us know how many copies you’re interested in and we will be very happy to discuss doing a deal.