The Shakespeare Effect
Persuasive communication training
Every leader needs to persuade, but few have ever been taught how persuasion actually works. This high-energy, interactive workshop reveals the architecture of influence - the specific structural techniques that make an argument land, a message stick, and…
Communication Skills Practice
Group Activity
Ideation
Improvisation
Public Speaking
Roleplay / Simulation
Workshop
Description
Every leader needs to persuade, but few have ever been taught how persuasion actually works.
This high-energy, interactive workshop reveals the architecture of influence - the specific structural techniques that make an argument land, a message stick, and an audience lean in. The methodology? The most persuasive communicator in the English language - William Shakespeare.
Working with short, powerful extracts from the plays, participants discover how operative words carry meaning, how antithesis creates instant clarity from complexity, and how rhetorical structure turns a rambling update into a compelling case.
This isn’t a drama class - it’s a masterclass in the mechanics of persuasion, grounded in techniques that have moved audiences for over 400 years, and led by the Voice Director of Bell Shakespeare.
Participants will also apply each technique to their own professional communication before they leave the room.
No acting experience required here, just a willingness to get on your feet and discover that captivation isn’t talent, it’s technique.
Benefits
- Participants learn the structural techniques behind persuasive communication
- Develops clarity of thought and the ability to distil complex ideas into compelling arguments
- Builds confidence constructing and delivering a persuasive case under pressure
- Strengthens the ability to influence in meetings, pitches, town halls, and presentations
- Energises and bonds teams through a shared creative and intellectual challenge
- Participants leave understanding why certain speakers captivate, and how to replicate it
Hosted by Jack Starkey-Gill
About the Host
Jack is Voice Director at Bell Shakespeare, Australia’s national theatre company, a professional speaker, and founding director of JSG Voice, a specialist consultancy bringing elite performance training into the corporate world.
With a Master of Fine Arts in Voice from NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) and a professional background that spans both the boardroom – including roles at JWT and Hill+Knowlton Strategies – and the stage, Jack bridges two worlds that rarely meet. He translates the techniques that help actors command a theatre into practical tools that help leaders command a room.
His sessions draw on conservatoire-level voice training of breath, resonance, posture and presence to create immediate, tangible and strategic shifts in how people communicate under pressure.
Jack has coached C-suite executives, senior leadership teams, and professional performers alike, and brings a uniquely physical, experiential approach to communication development that participants remember long after the session ends.
Travel Locations
Sydney (home base, no additional cost). Melbourne (+$300 AUD). Brisbane, Canberra (+$400 AUD). Perth (+$600 AUD). Europe – available by arrangement during planned travel periods (next availability: mid-2026). Additional travel costs to be quoted per engagement.
Certifications & Credentials
Bachelor of Dramatic Art (Victorian College of the Arts), Master of Fine Arts in Voice (National Institute of Dramatic Art), Member of Professional Speakers Australia.
Client Requirements
A screen is preferable so that I can use slides, but this is not necessary if none can be provided. Microphone is preferred for large spaces.
Focus Areas
Creative/CultureWell-being/HealthDevelopment/Coaching
Location
Newtown
Languages
English
Corporate Experience
Significant
Session Types Offered
Interactive (eg. improv, group-art, yoga etc.)
Past Experience Doing Sessions
Yes - Interactive
Past Clients
Bayer, Paper+Spark, SBS Radio, Bell Shakespeare, NIDA.
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