“If poetry is presented in an accessible way, it can become something you reach for not just for the big things in life like weddings and funerals, but for an everyday dose of something wonderful.”
Former actress, bestselling author and poetry champion Allie Esiri and Regents Park Open Air Theatre present Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year – Live! On Sunday 25th May, Allie Esiri will be joined by a star-studded cast of award winning theatre and film actors for a hugely entertaining evening of Shakespeare based on Allie Esiri’s bestselling poetry anthology: Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year. We sat down with Allie to discuss her upcoming readings and love for poetry.
Poetry in the Park sounds like a magical evening. What inspired you to bring Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year to life on stage in Regent’s Park?
There’s a line in A Midsummer Night’s Dream when they are working out where to put on a play and one says, “This green plot shall be our stage”. That’s how I feel about this outdoor theatre in the woods! It’s a simply perfect and magical place to be our stage. The theatre has a remarkable history of putting on Shakespeare. It is where I saw my first one, on a school trip.
From bestselling books to sold-out performances, your work has clearly struck a chord. Why do you think poetry is resonating so strongly with audiences today?
There are many reasons. If poetry is presented in an accessible way, it can become something you reach for not just for the big things in life like weddings and funerals, but for an everyday dose of something wonderful. That’s why, I think, that my A Poem for Every Day of the Year book series seems to have struck a chord.
Your anthologies have introduced so many people to poetry in a fresh and accessible way. What draws you personally to Shakespeare as a gateway into poetry?
He is the greatest poet in the English language and is more accessible than some might think. My anthologies aim to be a gateway into poetry and Shakespeare. They offer a daily bitesize dose, with an explanatory intro each day. The audiobooks and live shows help hugely too. The actors bring the poems to life and help bring in a new audience to poetry and Shakespeare.
From acting to creating bestselling anthologies, your creative path has taken some inspiring turns. Was there a moment that shifted your focus from performing to curating and sharing poetry?
I got an iPad and I thought that I would make a poetry app and share what I loved about poetry with the new generation. One of the apps, The Love Book is still on the App Store; readers include Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Hiddleston and Emma Watson. In a slightly unusual pattern, my poetry anthologies followed the apps.
Do you have a favourite Shakespeare passage that always moves you, no matter how many times you hear or read it?
One of my favourite lines is from Much Ado About Nothing where Beatrice says, “There was a star danced, and under that was I born”. The line danced into my head the night each of my children was born, in the hope they would always feel that they were born under a dancing star.
Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year – Live at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London on 25th May. Tickets from £25. Available here.