Ben Crystal
| Ben Crystal | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1977 Ascot, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Actor, Author, & Producer |
| Nationality | British |
| Website | |
|
www | |
Ben Crystal (born 1977) is an English actor, author, and producer, best known for his work on performing and promoting William Shakespeare in "Original Pronunciation".
Background and career
The son of linguist David Crystal, Ben was born in Ascot, Berkshire, and grew up in Wokingham and Holyhead, North Wales. He studied English Language and Linguistics at Lancaster University between 1995 and 1998, before training as an actor between 1998 and 1999. After leaving drama school he studied methods from the theatre companies Complicite and Frantic Assembly, particularly under Annabel Arden and Monika Pagneux.
In 1999 he began to write Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion, with his father, David Crystal, and has been acting and writing for the last ten years, most notably in 2003 playing a guest lead in the BBC1 drama series Holby City, for which he became fluent in British Sign Language, and for the 2006 summer season at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
Since the publication of Shakespeare on Toast: Getting a Taste for the Bard, he has given workshops and talks on Shakespeare literature festivals at the Hay Festival of Literature and Arts, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Oxford Literary Festival, Dartington's Ways With Words Festival, and the Cheltenham Literature Festival.[1]
In 2014 he and his theatre company (Passion in Practice) were awarded one of the inaugural Owle Schreame Awards for innovation in historical theatre, specifically for their work on original Shakespearean pronunciation in performance.[2]
Filmography
Film
- Julian Wald in the movie "Uprising", directed by Jon Avnet and starring alongside stars such as Hank Azaria, Jon Voight and Donald Sutherland.[3]
Theatre
- Spring Awakening: Ernst Robel (2000) - directed by Andrew Harries (Bath Theatre Royal)
- Twelfth Night: Curio (2005) - directed by Patrick Mason (National Tour/Thelma Holt)
- Titus Andronicus: Alarbus (2006) - directed by Lucy Bailey (Shakespeare's Globe)
- The Comedy of Errors: Luce (2006) - directed by Christopher Luscombe (Shakespeare's Globe)
- Rough For Theatre 2: B / Ohio Impromptu: Reader (2007) - directed by Jonathon Heron (Fail Better)
- Caligula: Scipio (2007) - directed by Giles Gartrell-Mills (Talon Arts)
- One Minute: DC Robert Evans (2008) - directed by Robert Wolstenholme (shiningman)
- The Night Before Christmas: Simon Templer (2009) - directed by Robert Wolstenholme (Signal Theatre Company)
- King Lear: Edgar (2010) - directed by Daniel Winder (Iris Theatre Company)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream: Demetrius (2011) - directed by Daniel Winder (Iris Theatre Company)
- Hamlet: Hamlet (2011) - directed by Rob Gander (Nevada Repertory Company)
Television
- Holby City: Ade Crowe (Guest Lead) (2003) - directed by Richard Platt[4]
- The Bill : Mark Johnson (2001) - directed by Michael Owen Morris.
References
- ↑ Poole, Steven (31 January 2009). "Shakespeare On Toast review". London: Guardian newspaper.
- ↑ Loxton, Howard | The Owle Schreame Awards for Innovation in Classical Theatre: Passion in Practice, "British Theatre Guide", September 19th (2014)
- ↑ ""Uprising" video clip". Spotlight.
- ↑ "Holby City video clip". Spotlight.