Overview

For too long, Shakespeare has been tamed - trapped in academic reverence, smothered by tradition, and stripped of its raw theatrical power. But at Pop-up Globe, something different happened. Between 2015 and 2020, this radical theatre experience exploded onto the world stage, playing to 750,000 people with productions that were dangerous, hilarious, and wildly popular. Audiences stood, cheered, laughed, and wept as Pop-up Globe reignited the raw energy of Shakespeare's plays in ways not seen for centuries. Now, for the first time, Dr. Miles Gregory - founder and artistic director of Pop-up Globe - reveals the creative vision, bold artistic choices, and radical techniques that made these productions an international sensation. Part manifesto, practical guide, and behind-the-scenes exploration, this book offers directors, actors, and theatre-makers the tools to create Shakespeare that grips audiences and refuses to let go. How to direct Shakespeare with impact. From casting to staging, from unlocking the power of verse to making the text pulse with life, this book lays out a blueprint for productions that thunder with immediacy. The secrets behind Pop-up Globe's success. What made these productions different? How did a replica 1614 playhouse create an electric actor-audience connection? How did the company sell out theatres night after night? How to make theatre dangerous, unpredictable, and thrilling. Shakespeare's original audiences were rowdy, vocal, and deeply engaged. Discover how to shatter the fourth wall and make your audiences part of the show. Why Shakespeare still matters today - and how to prove it. Whether in theatres, classrooms, or experimental spaces, this book reimagines how Shakespeare can ignite modern audiences. A must-read for directors, actors, teachers, and anyone who believes Shakespeare should be alive, immediate, and unforgettable. It challenges old assumptions, overturns stale conventions, and proves that Shakespeare - done right - still electrifies audiences today.

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Dr. Miles Gregory is a theatre director, scholar, and cultural entrepreneur whose groundbreaking work has transformed how audiences experience Shakespeare today. He is the founder and former Artistic Director of Pop-up Globe (2015-2020), the world's first full-scale touring reconstruction of Shakespeare's second Globe Theatre. Under his leadership, Pop-up Globe became the largest theatre company in the Southern Hemisphere, performing to 750,000 audience members across Australasia and winning fifteen major theatre awards.He was educated at King's College, Auckland, before reading for a BA in Modern History at Durham University, an MFA in Staging Shakespeare at Exeter University, and a PhD in Shakespeare in Performance at Bristol University.Dr. Gregory has directed over fifty professional Shakespeare productions worldwide. At 23, he became the youngest director in London's West End, staging Hamlet and Twelfth Night at the Westminster Theatre. He has founded, led and advised state funded theatres and independent Shakespeare festivals around the world, and served as a visiting lecturer at London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. In 2018 he was recognized for his leadership in New Zealand's arts and culture sector with the prestigious Blake Leader Award.Beyond theatre, Dr. Gregory has pioneered immersive storytelling and digital innovation, co-founding HyperCinema, an AI-driven interactive storytelling platform, in 2023. He is married to historical costume specialist Bob Capocci, formerly Head of Costume Design at Pop-up Globe. Together they have created dozens of productions over the last twenty-five years.

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