- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Methuen Drama; First Edition edition (26 July 1984)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0413547906
- ISBN-13: 978-0413547903
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 13.2 x 1.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 225,174 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
'A set text among actors, Playing Shakespeare best serves the layman in its general discussions of acting and Shakespeare's use of language.'
--thehamletweblog.blogspot.com (December 2009)
--thehamletweblog.blogspot.com (December 2009)
Review
'A set text among actors, Playing Shakespeare best serves the layman in its general discussions of acting and Shakespeare's use of language.' thehamletweblog.blogspot.com (December 2009)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
John Barton is an epic figure in Shakespearean acting circles and rightly so. I found this book after watching a masterclass he filmed with Kevin Kline on Sky Arts, and just being bowled over by how much the actors, who were already good, improved under his tutelage.
This book consists of edited transcripts of a series of television programmes Barton made with some incredibly famous actors on how to Play Shakespeare. It does exactly what it says on the tin. It is absolutely fascinating to hear how different actors approach the same role, notably the chapter on Shylock in which David Suchet and Patrick Stewart compare their respective takes on the role.
Barton is eloquent and interesting as are his cast. The work is illuminating and underpins Barton's crucial reliance on what the text is doing, his belief is that Shakespeare uses both the words and the structure of the text to give the actors direction.
I must point out that I am not an actor myself, so how useful this is as a guide to acting I don't know. I am however, studying Shakespeare in production, and for this, this book is perfect. Well worth purchasing. A timeless classic.
This book consists of edited transcripts of a series of television programmes Barton made with some incredibly famous actors on how to Play Shakespeare. It does exactly what it says on the tin. It is absolutely fascinating to hear how different actors approach the same role, notably the chapter on Shylock in which David Suchet and Patrick Stewart compare their respective takes on the role.
Barton is eloquent and interesting as are his cast. The work is illuminating and underpins Barton's crucial reliance on what the text is doing, his belief is that Shakespeare uses both the words and the structure of the text to give the actors direction.
I must point out that I am not an actor myself, so how useful this is as a guide to acting I don't know. I am however, studying Shakespeare in production, and for this, this book is perfect. Well worth purchasing. A timeless classic.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
One of the best books I've read on Shakespeare's writing - because that is exactly what it concentrates on. John Barton is highly regarded among actors as a practical analyst of Shakespearean verse and prose, giving often simple but penetrating advice. His trademark method is to use verse or sentence structures and lexical choices to decipher some very specific and useful instructions encoded by Shakespeare for the actors. Stands the test of time
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a wonderful book based on the scripts for the 1982 TV series. It includes a modern follow-up DVD in which Barton interviews Jane Lapotair, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. To appreciate the book you need first to watch the original series. You may also wish to watch the DVDs while following along in the book as the actors bring scenes to life.
Don't miss out as well on Peter Hall's equally good "Shakespeare's Advice to the Players". Hall and Barton co-founded the RSC and think along the same lines (no pun intended) about how best to perform and appreciate Shakespeare.
Simply, most people first read Shakespeare as literature instead of understanding the texts as plays intended for performance. Shakespeare was writing for actors, and his style was intended to assist them in learning how to play their parts. Both Barton and Hall show you how to understand the texts in this way each contributing something that the other omits.
Don't miss out as well on Peter Hall's equally good "Shakespeare's Advice to the Players". Hall and Barton co-founded the RSC and think along the same lines (no pun intended) about how best to perform and appreciate Shakespeare.
Simply, most people first read Shakespeare as literature instead of understanding the texts as plays intended for performance. Shakespeare was writing for actors, and his style was intended to assist them in learning how to play their parts. Both Barton and Hall show you how to understand the texts in this way each contributing something that the other omits.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Even more amazing if bought with the DVDs!!!
This book is fantastic, above all if bought with the DVDs set Playing Shakespeare [DVD. I recommend it to whoever loves Shakespeare and wants to understand how to play it better. Read more
Published 5 months ago by daniela quaglia
Informative - with or without the DVD
I have owned this book for a number of years and have come to rely on it as a common sense guide to how to exploit the language of Shakespeare for maximum theatrical effect. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Simon Tavener
Actor's viewpoint
I was directed by John Barton and Peter Hall for two years in the Royal Shakespeare Company and for a year by Trevor Nunn. I was VERY lucky in the '60s. Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2010 by Fergus McClelland
definitive toolkit
i am a classicaly trained theatre director. having undergone a good classical training at a school of excellence (at MA level) an awful lot of what we were taught is reflected in... Read more
Published on 16 July 2006 by Medea Dingo
Theoretical sans joy
Two-stars is harsh, for the book has advantages, notably its subject, being open to endless fascination. Read more
Published on 10 Jun 2006 by A C Torone
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