In this pack, we’ll be using a variety of different sources to bring the creative process to life for you and your students: Roald Dahl’s novel of Matilda; the script and songs from the RSC’s latest production Matilda, A Musical written by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin respectively; notes taken in Director Matthew Warchus’ rehearsal room as the production was brought to life onstage; insights and exercises from our Literary department plus our general practice with Shakespeare.

This printable resource is designed as a reference guide for teachers. We have listed the major themes and motifs within Romeo and Juliet and provided examples of scenes where you can study them. Suitable across the Key Stages. Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources

These notes are created for teachers and leaders wishing to introduce their group to Hamlet and in particular the RSC's 2008 production directed by Gregory Doran. The activities provided are specifically designed to support Key Stage 3-5 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 11 distinct sections designed to help you to plan your lessons: Creating Hamlet's friends; Adding detail to Hamlet's friends; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; Edited scene (Act 2 Scene 2) Edited scene (Act 3 Scene 2); Creating a contemporary Hamlet; Exploring To be or not to be; Edited scene (Act 2 Scene 2) ; Creating Osric; Should Hamlet fight? and Edited scene (Act 5 Scene 2). The activities created in this pack follow directly from RSC rehearsal room practice. Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources

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 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 printable Shakespeare resource is designed as a reference guide for teachers. We have listed the major themes and motifs within Macbeth and provided examples of scenes where you can study them. This resource can be used across the Key Stages. Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources

This pack supports the RSC’s 2011 production of Macbeth, directed by Michael Boyd. The activities provided are specifically designed to support KS3-4 students (but can be adapted for younger students) studying or seeing the play, offering a deeper insight into the choices that can be explored through staging. The pack explores a variety of activities based around themes and these are designed to help you to plan your lessons: Activities explore: Macbeth's ambition; Malcolm, Banquo and Fleance; Macduff and his family; Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and What is it to be a man? Activities 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.

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 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 supports the RSC’s 2012 production of Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Iqbal Khan as part of the World Shakespeare Festival, a celebration of Shakespeare as the world’s playwright. 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 8 distinct sections designed to help you to plan your lessons: About our Education work; About ensemble; More resources; Introductory notes; Tradition versus modernity; Behind Hero’s public mask; The masquerade party; Hero’s nightmare & The shaming of Hero . 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. Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources

This pack supports the RSC’s 2008 production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Neil Bartlett. The following practical classroom exercises are designed to help you explore the language in Romeo and Juliet with your group.The activities provided are specifically designed to support KS3-5 students. Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources

Shakespeare Unlocked brings Shakespeare’s most popular plays to life for young people by showing how actors and directors work to interpret and take ownership of Shakespeare’s text. The Teachers’ Pack is aimed at Key Stage 3 and 4 English but it can also be used for Key Stage 5 and Theatre Studies. It includes: An introduction to each of the three scenes; Suggestions for ideas to consider with your students before and after watching each scene and workshop film and activities to further students’ understanding of the play.There are 12 short films for each play: 3 scenes filmed in colour, in the theatre and 8 workshops, filmed in black and white, with actors and directors exploring those scenes. There is also a short film about this theatre production. The pack follows the RSC's active approach to learning about Shakespeare and is driven and guided by our rehearsal room practice. The films can be found on the BBC site here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01dtvpl Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-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

A download and print sheet of the the text of the key scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Find more of our resources on our website: www.rsc.org.uk/education/teacher-resources

Shakespeare Unlocked brings Shakespeare’s most popular plays to life for young people. Includes teaching materials and videos for your class, showing how actors and directors work to interpret and take ownership of Shakespeare’s text. There are 12 short films for each play: 3 scenes filmed in colour, in the theatre and 8 workshops, filmed in black and white, with actors and directors exploring those scenes. There is also a short film about this theatre production. These films can be found on the BBC site http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01dtvpl Shakespeare Unlocked - videos by the BBC in partnership with the RSC. 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 Othello, directed by Iqbal Khan, which opened on 4th June 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 5 distinct sections designed to help you to plan your lessons: Exploring the Story; A Man’s World; Inconstancy; The Resolution 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 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 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.