What Country, Friends, Is This?: Directing Shakespeare with Young Performers

Experienced teacher, actor and director Max Hafler tackles the myths that Shakespeare's work is like a foreign country, not for the faint-hearted, or only for a privileged few. In this book, he shows how you can embrace the challenges of doing Shakespeare with young people, and make the plays accessible and exciting for all.

Beginning with a series of workshops that introduce the skills and principles of voice and acting, he sets out, step by step, how to use devising, develop short scenes, explore soliloquies, and unlock the themes, characters, stories and language of the plays.

The holistic approach includes dozens of exercises – many inspired by Michael Chekhov's innovative technique – which will help young actors explore their voice, imagination and body, and lead to performances that are richer, focused and more fulfilling.

There is also useful advice on preparing for a production, editing and transposing the text, rehearsing scenes, and fostering an ensemble. Above all, this book will equip you to engage and empower young people, and to help them discover for themselves the joy of working with Shakespeare.

Max Hafler is a teacher, director, deviser, writer and lecturer, who trained and worked as a professional actor for many years. He was a resident voice teacher at Galway Youth Theatre for twelve years and taught voice in youth theatres all over Ireland for the National Association of Youth Drama. He has taught ensemble and directed productions including many notable young people's productions. A successful playwright and adapter, he has written several plays for young people, including Alien Nation, Battle Stations and This Means War!

He teaches Voice and Chekhov Technique on the BA and MA programmes at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He has worked in many applied drama areas with disability groups, with medical students, business students, schoolteachers and lecturers, giving him a full understanding of the issues that are faced by a facilitator when working within a particular group.

He is the author of Teaching Voice: Workshops for Young Performers and What Country, Friends, Is This?: Directing Shakespeare with Young Performers, both published by Nick Hern Books.

He discusses his work extensively in his blog: www.maxhafler.wordpress.com.