Elizabethan theatre is set to move into the 21st century with the release of a new MP3 audio file that will allow pupils to experience a live performance of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing on iPods.
The file, aimed at key stage 3 pupils, is a recording of a special performance of the play at the Globe theatre in London. It can be downloaded from the internet free and listened to as many times as pupils want.
The file includes interviews with the director and four actors playing the main characters, giving insights into the decisions they made when rehearsing the play.
The full production is available from the Department for Education and Skills’ standards website, which includes an area on improving the teaching of Shakespeare.
* www.standards.dfes.gov.uksecondarykeystage3subjectsenglishshakespeare E