The Royal Shakespeare Company creates theatre at its best, made in Stratford upon Avon and shared around the world. We place a special emphasis on sharing Shakespeare’s work with children and young people. We believe that young people get the most out of Shakespeare’s plays when they see them performed live and actively explore the text ‘on their feet’. This means speaking the words out-loud and bringing tried and tested RSC rehearsal room approaches into the classroom through our resources.
The Royal Shakespeare Company creates theatre at its best, made in Stratford upon Avon and shared around the world. We place a special emphasis on sharing Shakespeare’s work with children and young people. We believe that young people get the most out of Shakespeare’s plays when they see them performed live and actively explore the text ‘on their feet’. This means speaking the words out-loud and bringing tried and tested RSC rehearsal room approaches into the classroom through our resources.
An engaging synopsis handout resource of Romeo and Juliet for students and teachers, created by writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz. Suitable across the Key Stages (may need some alteration for Key Stage 1).
Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources
This printable worksheet & information pack responds to ideas directly from the RSC rehearsal room and suggests activities that you might use with your students in the classroom when studying Richard III by William Shakespeare.
Richard III, directed for the RSC by Roxana Silbert, is part of the 2012 World Shakespeare Festival.
Roxana é Ti Green, the production designer, were keen to explore the dynamic of private conversations taking place in public on the streets of London.
This pack has been designed to support the RSC’s 2014 First Encounter Production of The Taming of the Shrew, edited and directed by Michael Fentiman. The RSC’s First Encounter series for young audiences aims to give children and young people a vivid, accessible and enjoyable first experience of Shakespeare’s work. These specially edited productions are created to provide a great first introduction to Shakespeare’s plays for new audiences and sow the seeds for a life-long relationship with them.
The activities provided are specifically designed to support Key Stage 3-4 students, irrespective of whether they are attending a performance, watching it on video or studying the play in school.
The pack is divided up into 8 distinct sections designed to help you to plan your lessons: The Story Page;
Q&A with the Director; Storyboard; Creating Characters; The Minola Girls; The Battle for Bianca; Creating the World and Resource Materials. There are activities within each section which follow the RSC's active approach to learning about Shakespeare and are driven and guided by our rehearsal room practice. The pack also contains text based resources and key speeches from the play.
The activities in this pack are inspired by The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. They can be used either as stand-alone practical approaches to this play or as supporting activities for students seeing the production. They have been designed with
KS3 to KS5 students in mind, but can be adapted for other age groups. Some are best
suited to an open space such as a hall, but many can be used in a classroom.
This printable resource is designed as a reference guide for teachers. We have listed the major themes and motifs within A Midsummer Night's Dream and provided examples of scenes where they can be studied. Suitable for all Key Stages.
Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources
This teaching resource is designed as a reference guide for teachers. We have listed the major themes and motifs within The Tempest and provided examples of scenes where you can study them. Suitable for Key Stage 2 onwards.
Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources
An engaging synopsis of The Merchant of Venice, printable and ready for use by students and teachers, created by writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Suitable for all Key Stages with adaptations.
Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources
Using the activity described in this teaching pack, teachers will lead students to work as an ensemble to investigate Antony's relationships with Enobarbus and Cleopatra, in Antony & Cleopatra by William Shakespeare. This classroom activity is based on Gregory Doran's 2006 production of Antony and Cleopatra.
This printable Shakespeare teaching resource is designed as a reference guide for teachers. We have listed the major themes and motifs within King Lear by William Shakespeare and provided examples of scenes where you can study them.
Explanation of how Shakespeare's language works, with descriptions of the major tools of his art. This document is designed as a resource for teachers which can be adapted to use with your students.
This pack supports the RSC’s 2016 production of Hamlet, directed by Simon Godwin, which opened on 12 March at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The activities provided are specifically designed to support Key Stage 3-4 students, irrespective of whether they are attending a performance or studying the play in school although there are specific details relating to this production throughout.
The pack is divided up into 5 distinct sections designed to help you to plan your lessons: Exploring the Story; Voices from the Past; Storytelling; An Antic disposition and Resources. There are activities within each section which follow the RSC's active approach to learning about Shakespeare and are driven and guided by our rehearsal room practice. We also have extension boxes throughout the pack which can help to develop the activities for older students or to help you progress a theme in greater depth. The pack also contains text based resources and some key scenes from the play.
This pack supports the RSC’s 2008 production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Neil Bartlett. The practical exercises included are designed to accompany video extracts of Act 2 Scene 2, the 'Balcony Scene' in rehearsal. The video of this can be found on this site. The activities provided are specifically designed to support KS3-5 students.
The activities in this teachers' pack include: Exploring Romeo's soliloquy; Playing As Ifs; Exploring differences in language; Repetition and Character choices.
Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources
This pack supports the RSC’s 2014 production of Henry IV Part I, directed by Greg Doran.
The activities provided are specifically designed to support KS3-4 students studying or seeing the play, offering a deeper insight into the choices that can be explored through staging.
The pack is divided up into 7 distinct sections designed to help you to plan your lessons: About this pack and the Broadcasts; The ‘Grey Period’; Exploring the Story; Character Connections; The World of Prince Hal;
Hal and Hotspur and Resource Materials. There are activities within each section which follow the RSC's active approach to learning about Shakespeare and are driven and guided by our rehearsal room practice. We also have extension boxes throughout the pack which can help to develop the activities for older students or to help you progress a theme in greater depth. The pack also contains text based resources and key speeches from the play.
Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources
This pack supports the RSC’s 2015 production of The Merchant of Venice, directed by Polly Findlay, which opened at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
The activities provided are specifically designed to support KS3-4 students studying or seeing
the play, offering a deeper insight into the choices that can be explored through staging. The pack is divided up into 6 distinct sections designed to help you to plan your lessons: About this Pack; Exploring the Story; The Republic of Venice; Status and Wealth; Hazarding and Justice and the Resolution . There are activities within each section which follow the RSC's active approach to learning about Shakespeare and are driven and guided by our rehearsal room practice. We also have extension boxes throughout the pack which can help to develop the activities for older students or to help you progress a theme in greater depth. The pack also contains text based resources and key speeches from the play.
Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources
This bank of images from different RSC productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream can be used to compare interpretations and spark discussion.
Suitable for Key Stage 2 onwards.
Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources
This bank of images from different RSC productions of Romeo and Juliet can be used to compare interpretations and spark discussion.
Suitable for Key Stage 2 onwards.
Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources
Complete teachers' pack with classroom activities based on King Lear by William Shakespeare.
The activities include: Creating a back story, Interpreting Act 1 Scene 2, Exploring the Fool. These teaching resources are based on Trevor Nunn's 2007 production of King Lear with the RSC.
This printable and informative article first appeared in the show programme for the RSC's 2006 production of Romeo and Juliet. Why was Shakespeare fascinated with Italy? Dr Alison Shell, a Reader in English Studies at Durham University investigates the 1600 equivalent of Hollywood.
This complete printable resource pack contains classroom activities based on The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. It has been designed with KS2 & KS3 students in mind, but can be adapted for other ages.
The pack contains:
- Introductory Notes
- Investigating the Themes
- Exploring the Character
- Interpreting the Play
This printable teaching resource is an article which first appeared in the show programme for the RSC's 2006 production of Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare. Author Tom Holland describes the world in which the play takes place.