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'Play out the play!' Falstaff's words succinctly
express the central assumption of the Cambridge School Shakespeare
series: Shakespeare wrote his plays to be acted, watched and enjoyed.
For many years I've had the privilege of working with hundreds
of teachers and thousands of students. Each play has therefore been
carefully edited to take into account extensive research and development
work on successful school Shakespeare. Each invites students and
teachers to bring the play to life in their classrooms, halls or
drama studios through enjoyable activities that increase understanding.
A wide variety of classroom-tested activities enable students to
inhabit Shakespeare's imaginative world in accessible and creative
ways. They give students the widest choice to suit their own particular
needs, and to make the play their own.
The series uses the much-acclaimed texts established by The New
Cambridge Shakespeare editors. It thus gives students full knowledge
of Shakespeare's language, filled with imaginative possibilities.
The many illustrations, explanations, notes and activities have
all been specially designed to provide student-friendly help, whether
for examination study, reading for pleasure, or putting on the play
to entertain others.
Students do not need special dramatic or theatrical skills to do
the activities. By exploring and experimenting, students make their
own valid, justified interpretations of Shakespeare's language,
characters and stories. They are encouraged to make up their own
minds about the play, rather than having someone else's interpretation
handed down to them.
Cambridge School Shakespeare includes twenty-seven plays, together
with The Sonnets. It also provides excellent support material for
teachers in Teaching Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Language, and,
for younger students, Stepping into Shakespeare.
By treating the plays as plays, not simply as literary texts, Cambridge
School Shakespeare increases student motivation, appreciation and
comprehension. As Hamlet says: 'The play's the thing!'
Rex Gibson
Series Editor
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