This book tells the story of the Royal Shakespeare Company's acclaimed and influential project to transform the teaching of Shakespeare in schools. It examines their approaches to making his plays more accessible, enjoyable and relevant to young people, describing the innovative classroom practices that the Company has pioneered and locating these within a clearly articulated theory of learning. It also provides evidence of their impact on children and young people's experience of Shakespeare, drawing upon original research as well as research commissioned by the RSC itself. Authoritative but highly readable, the book is relevant to anyone with an interest in the teaching of Shakespeare, and in how a major cultural organisation can have a real impact on the education of young people from a wide range of social backgrounds. It benefits from interviews with key policy makers and practitioners from within the RSC, including their legendary voice coach, Cicely Berry, and with internationally renowned figures such as the writer and academic, Jonathan Bate; the previous artistic director of the RSC, Michael Boyd; and the celebrated playwright, Tim Crouch.

List of Tables and FiguresIntroductionChapter 1: Education at the Royal Shakespeare CompanyChapter 2: Why teach Shakespeare?Chapter 3: Developing a Rehearsal Room Pedagogy at the RSC: Key InfluencesChapter 4: The Classroom as a Rehearsal Room: An Example of PracticeChapter 5: A Theoretical Rationale for Rehearsal Room PedagogyChapter 6: Tim Crouch Directing the Young People's ShakespeareChapter 7: The Impact of the Learning and Performance Network on the Practice of TeachersChapter 8: The Impact of Rehearsal Room Pedagogy on Students: What Research SHows (co-authored with Steve Strand)Chapter 9: Looking ForwardNotesBibliographyIndex