The first reading

How you conduct your first reading of the play is largely up to personal preference. You may be reading it in class, or this task may be assigned to you to do in your own time. If you’re not already doing it in class, it can be really valuable to gather a group of friends, allocate one character (or more if the scene requires it) to each, and read the play aloud. Don’t stress too much about getting the language right at this stage, you’re just trying to get a feel for the play, and if you’re hung up on the pronunciation of every word you’ll never get anywhere.