I, Shakespeare

“This brilliant collection of re-imagined stories is a perfect introduction to Shakespeare for students of all ages. They are funny, fresh, intriguing and poignant, and use a supreme storyteller’s skill to bring us into the worlds of some of Shakespeare’s best-loved characters and plays. A must for all teachers who want to excite and inspire their students about Shakespeare’s work and the possibilities of theatre.”
Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Education Royal Shakespeare Company



I, Shakespeare brings together Tim Crouch’s take on four Shakespeare classics: Twelfth Night, Macbeth, The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. These solo pieces are written for younger audiences but their originality and strength make them suitablefor any age. Each play in this collection combines the need to tell Shakespeare’s primary story with an opportunity for the secondary characters to finally have their say – Malvolio, Banquo, Caliban and Peaseblossom. Each play is different but all display a formal inventiveness and a philosophical playfulness that make them stand alone as brilliant examples of contemporary theatre.

Tim Crouch is a UK theatre artist based in Brighton. He writes plays, performs in them and takes responsibility for their production. He started to make his own work in 2003. Before then he was an actor.

Tim works with a number of associates and collaborators to produce his writing. There isn't a company structure; things and people are brought together when they are needed. The starting process has always been a text written by Crouch. Early work was made in response to a self-generated impulse to tell a story or explore a form. This impulse is still the first motivation but, lately, it's become slightly more formalized through the involvement of various commissioning theatres and organizations. Tim's work tours extensively to UK and international venues and festivals.