Springboard Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dreamis one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies both in the theatre and on stage. This accessible introduction offers a "springboard" into the play, breaking down any fears or preconceptions about it and taking a hands-on, performance-based approach. It combines ideas and critical information about the context in which the play was written, the ideas it explores and the challenges and the rewards it presents to actors, audiences and students. Springboard Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dreamhas a three-part structure: Before, During and After. Ben Crystal takes you through what you need to know and think about before you see or study the play, while you watch or read it, and after you have seen or read it. He combines a genuine passion and understanding of Shakespeare with his experience as an actor, to give the reader a clear route to thinking about, understanding and enjoying A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Ben Crystal is an actor and writer with an established expertise in Shakespeare. He has co-authored The Shakespeare Miscellany and Shakespeare's Words with his father, linguistic expert David Crystal, and was the sole author of the very successful Shakespeare on Toast.