Bryony Males

What is your job title?

Early Years and Families Practitioner.

What kind of things does your job typically entail?

My role is focused on engaging children in their early stages of development in all things Shakespeare, through story time activities, explorative sensory play and more! We aim to make Shakespeare accessible and fun for all.

Why do you think learning about Shakespeare and his work is important to us today?

Shakespeare is all around us, especially here in Stratford-upon-Avon! His stories are so exciting that we are still enjoying them today, all these years after they were written. There are so many opportunities for play based learning activities within stories such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest (which are two of the main stories we focus on within our Early Years offering).

What is your favourite Shakespeare related experience - at SBT or elsewhere?

Growing up in Stratford-upon-Avon Shakespeare really was all around me. When I was a teenager I studied at Stratford-upon-Avon College and had the opportunity to watch many performances at the RSC. Within my previous role as a teacher in a SEN school I had the pleasure of teaching a term based on A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was extremely daunting at first thinking about how to engage learners who were non-verbal and had complex needs in Shakespeare, however we had the best time and enjoyed every minute of exploring the magic involved!

What are the challenges, do you think, in bringing Shakespeare to life for contemporary audiences?

Shakespeare can seem very daunting and confusing, especially if you’ve never had the chance to experience it in an engaging and exciting way. Some parents must wonder why it is important to expose children to such history at a young age. The SBT Learning Team make it our mission to make this learning accessible and worthwhile to everyone from ages 0-99+.

Finally- what is your favourite joke? Doesn’t have to be Shakespearean…

What do you call a tiny pig reciting Shakespeare?

Hamlet!