THE TIMES' BEST BOOKS OF THE YEARThis book charts the personal and professional journey of Greg Doran, Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2012 until 2022 and "one of the great Shakespearians of his generation" (Sunday Times).During his illustrious career, Doran has directed or produced all of the plays within Shakespeare's First Folio -- a milestone reached in the same year that the world celebrates the 400th anniversary of its original publication.Each chapter looks at a different play, considering the choices made and weaving in both autobiographical detail and background on the RSC, as well as giving insights into key collaborations, including those with actors such as Judi Dench, David Tennant, Harriet Walter, Patrick Stewart, Simon Russell Beale, Paterson Joseph and Doran's husband, the late Antony Sher, as well as seminal practitioners such as Cicely Berry, John Barton and Terry Hands. The book also includes 16 striking pages with stills from some of the RSC plays.Through Doran's account of this extraordinary journey, we see how Henry VIII, initially regarded as a poisoned chalice, became his lucky break; how the tragedy of 9/11 unfolded during a matinee of King John and how the language of the play went some way in helping to articulate the unfathomable; how a RSC supporter bequeathed their skull to the company to be used as Yorick in Hamlet; how meeting Nelson Mandela inspired the production of Julius Caesar; how Falstaff was introduced to China for the very first time; and how arachnophobia informed the production of Macbeth.This book uniquely captures the excitement, energy, surprises, joys and agonies of working on these greatest of plays; sheds new light on these plays through Doran's own research and discoveries made in the rehearsal room; and gives unprecedented access into the craft, life and loves of this exceptional director.My Shakespeare is also available in audiobook format from audiobook retailers.

Chapter PageIntroduction 81 Romeo and Juliet: A Prologue 92 Titus Andronicus 233 Henry VIII, or All is True. 314 The Merchant of Venice 395 The Winter's Tale 456 Timon of Athens 507 Macbeth 558 As You Like It 659 King John 6910 Much Ado About Nothing 7511 The Taming of The Shrew 8512 All's Well That Ends Well 9213 Othello 9814 Venus & Adonis 11015 A Midsummer Night's Dream 11616 Antony & Cleopatra 12717 Merry Wives: The Musical 13418 Coriolanus 13919 Hamlet 14420 Love's Labour's Lost 15321 Twelfth Night 16122 Julius Caesar 16823 Richard II 17624 Henry IV Part One 18325 Henry IV Part Two 20026 Henry V 20327 King Lear 20928 The Tempest 21729 Troilus and Cressida 22530 Measure for Measure 23131 The Comedy of Errors (a lockdown chapter) 23532 Henry VI Part One 24033 Henry VI Part Two 24934 Henry VI Part Three 25335 Richard III 25536 Cymbeline: An Epilogue 268