She Speaks!--bold and original--is many rewarding books in one. In these pages one of the great actors of our age asks: 'What were Ophelia, Rosalind, Cleopatra and Shakespeare's other women characters really thinking?' Drawing on her own rich performance history, Harriet Walter gives them voice in Shakespearean pentameter verse, and what they have to say is both witty and profound. I was dazzled many years ago when I saw her play Ophelia at the Royal Court, and continue to be dazzled by her brilliance and hard-won insights into the plays. It's a book that anyone who cares about Shakespeare will want to own, and share. --James Shapiro, author of 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare
If you liked Carol Ann Duffy's
The World's Wife -- you will love this incisive, funny, mischievously subversive homage to Shakespeare's heroines, written by one of mine
." --Meera Syal "With her characteristic wit, playfulness and fierce intelligence, Harriet Walter gives tantalizing voice to the bard's female greats. Her extensive experience, passionate advocacy and vibrant imagination make this collection a must-read."
--Tamsin Greig "An invaluable book for actors and enthusiasts alike. If like me you have struggled with Shakespeare's representation of female characters Walters crystal clear analysis will restore your faith. She unpicks and re-centers their inner life and journey as only one of our most talented and celebrated classical actors could. A must read!
"--Maxine Peake "Did Lady Macbeth instruct the weird sisters what to tell her husband? What happened when Cleopatra was reunited with Mark Antony in Heaven? And what did Hermione really do shut away for those sixteen years? Harriet Walter's years of inhabiting and imbibing so many of those great roles gives her a special licence to speak for them. But the wit of these delightful poems also belies frustration, exasperation, and like a true "Lover's Complaint", real affection."
--Greg Doran, former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company 
