Ben Crystal


Ben Crystal is an English actor, author, and producer, best known for his work on performing and promoting William Shakespeare using original practices, especially original pronunciation.

Background and career

Crystal was born in Ascot, Berkshire, the son of linguist David Crystal, and grew up in Wokingham and Holyhead, North Wales. He studied English and linguistics at Lancaster University between 1995 and 1998, before training as an actor.
His acting career included an appearance in the 2006 summer season at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, playing a role in Titus Andronicus. He has worked with his father David Crystal as advisors on the production of plays in the original pronunciation at the Globe Theatre. He has also acted in other productions in the original pronunciation with other companies, for example playing the title roles in Hamlet, and Richard II, and produced works through ensembles he has started or is involved in.
In 2013, as curator, producer and creative director of CDs released by the British Library, he produced recordings of Shakespeare's speeches and sonnets in the original pronunciation.
Crystal's book Shakespeare on Toast: Getting a Taste for the Bard, was published in 2008 and it was shortlisted for the 2010 Educational Writers Award. Since its publication, he has given workshops and talks on Shakespeare work.
Crystal has also co-written several books with his father. They starting writing Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion after finding that A Shakespeare glossary by Charles Talbut Onions has a number of omissions. Other works include The Oxford Illustrated Dictionary of Shakespeare, the latter being shortlisted for the Educational Writer of the Year Award in 2016.
In 2014 he and his theatre company were awarded one of the inaugural Owle Schreame Awards for innovation in historical theatre for their work on Original Shakespearean Pronunciation in performance.

Publications