Level 5 Video Clip 3: William Shakespeare

Tapescript

William Shakespeare is the most famous writer in the English language, but we really know
very little for certain about him. We know that he was born on the 23rd of April 1564 and
that he died on the same day in 1616. He was a poet, playwright, and actor for most of his
life. He wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets or short poems.

Shakespeare was born in this house in Stratford where his father made gloves. Shakespeare
married Anne Hathaway in 1582 and the couple had three children.

By 1592, Shakespeare was in London, writing plays and probably performing in them too.
This is a recreation of the Globe Theatre in London. The original was built in 1599 and
possibly paid for by Shakespeare and other members of his acting company.

We think that Shakespeare retired in 1613 and came back to Stratford from London. He died
at his house in New Place three years later.

Shakespeare’s plays are performed all over the world and in almost every language. But
most people associate Shakespeare with Stratford, and it is here that Britain’s Royal
Shakespeare Company have their home and where they perform most.

We spoke to the actor, Sam Alexander, who has been a member of the company for three
years.

It’s very special, performing in Shakespeare’s home town. It's a place people come from all
over the world to visit, to learn about Shakespeare, and to see his plays. And indeed, people
started coming here very early on, only 50 years after his death, people came from London
wanting to know if this was Shakespeare’s town and there's been a tourist industry here
ever since. And you do feel when you're on stage, and talking to people afterwards, often,
it's a long journey for people, and they've come here and you feel, they feel quite privileged
to be in the town, and you feel quite privileged doing plays in this town.

Also, the RSC is a wonderful organisation – it's been here 50 or 60 years, and has a lot of
resources. And they're just In the process of building a brand-new theatre. In the meantime
we're performing in a prototype stage up the road. And the new theatre, I think, is going to
be even more special and a wonderful landmark for people to visit.