Shakespeare and Me: The Man or the Myth?

Shakespeare and Me

Many of you may wonder why I am writing this book, so I thought a brief paragraph or so might enlighten you as to my connection with William Shakespeare and why his legacy means so much to me and those who I surround myself with.

I think for anyone who has been fortunate enough to see a well produced production of Shakespeare, they will understand why, as a young teenager, I fell in love with the work of the great bard of Stratford when I paid my first visit (of many) to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) theatre to see Richard II starring David Tennant (widely known as the 10th Doctor Who). It was a magical experience the like which I cannot endeavour to describe - the atmosphere in the theatre was electric and, much to my surprise, I could understand what the actors were saying and what the whole plot was about!!

Many young people complain that Shakespeare is boring, dull and incomprehensible due to the language, that day in Stratford I learnt otherwise.
If you are lucky enough to see a high quality production you will find it exciting, engaging and comprehensible!! Bringing the language to life, out of the school room and onto the stage makes the world of difference and so I believe that Shakespeare should be taught, not read, through performance or going to see performances!  I am certain that you would fall in love with the language, as I have, if we were all taught this way from a young age.

Anyway, I digress slightly, in the whole of this youthful experience which gained me my love of Shakespeare, I have overlooked the fact that really I have been incredibly lucky to have been given the chance to go on thousands of journeys to far off lands through the power of theatre. It is unfortunate that so many people globally do not have access to the arts so, in reality, living so close to Shakespeare's Birthplace and the RSC in Stratford has been extraordinarily fortunate and important to me.

Even to this day, several years on, I am still visiting the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at least once a month, sometimes more, to see their latest productions. You may have noticed that at the top of this page there is a photograph depicting me on the bridge over the River Avon with the theatre in the background, each and every time I visit the RSC never fail to entertain, impress, move or engage me in the work of England's most treasured poet and playwright. Hopefully this brief note along with the accompanying image sums up my love of Shakespeare and thus explains why I am writing this book on him and his work. Also, I hope that the next time some Shakespeare is being performed near you, you will at least consider giving it a chance, letting it take you to a different world entirely, infecting you with the 'theatre bug' forever.

So, on with the book!! I think it's important, for context to give you a brief bit of background to the man himself so if you're sticking with me, that'll be the content of the next chapter: The Man from Stratford.

If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider giving it a vote. Many thanks, M.R.W