Beyond Shakespeare

First of our Christmas specials - a return to Old Christmas, a fragment we've already looked at with another room, and Christmas, His Masque by Ben Jonson - our first masque, and our first complete work by Jonson. Which is nice. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Eric Karoulla as Gluttony, New Year; Liza Graham as Riot, Gambol, Offer; Emma Kemp as Good Order, Carol, Cupid; Sarah B...

Exploring: The N-Town Play, a slow burn look at a medieval Mystery (sort of) cycle. The N-Town Play comes to us as a single manuscript, but it's a compilation of various different sources - including elements from what looks like a cycle and various other large scale productions focusing on episodes from the Bible. The journey continues with play ten, the Marriage of Mary and Joseph - and, boy, is...

Exploring: A Merry Play between John Johan the husband, Tyb his wife, and Sir Johan the Priest. This is a cross over episode with our YouTube channel, where most exploring sessions now live, because we want to make sure all the John Heywood material lives on the podcast. You can watch all the John Heywood videos on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLflmEwgdfKoKffZtkgZ7mUYF_d1mD...

Exploring: The N-Town Play, a slow burn look at a medieval Mystery (sort of) cycle. The N-Town Play comes to us as a single manuscript, but it's a compilation of various different sources - including elements from what looks like a cycle and various other large scale productions focusing on episodes from the Bible. The journey continues with play nine, the presentation of Mary at the Temple - ther...

Discussing: Edward II by Christopher Marlowe - with Dr. Kit Heyam This episode host Robert Crighton discusses a new book - The Reputation of Edward II, 1305-1697: A Literary Transformation of History by Kit Heyam. We delve into the changing story of Edward, what Marlowe does with the figure, and why the answer is never a red hot poker. The book is available to order from Amsterdam University Press...

Exploring: The N-Town Play, a slow burn look at a medieval Mystery (sort of) cycle. The N-Town Play comes to us as a single manuscript, but it's a compilation of various different sources - including elements from what looks like a cycle and various other large scale productions focusing on episodes from the Bible. The journey continues with play eight, Joachim and Anna, or the Conception of Mary...

The Harrowing of Hell - A full cast audio adaption of one of the earliest surviving Biblical dramas in English, with bonus material of our first exploring read through of the text. In the Harrowing of Hell - the Narrator was played by Geir Madland, Jesus by Robert Crighton, Satan by Pamela Flanagan, the Gatekeeper by Mark Scanlon, Adam by Simon Nader, Eve by Gillian Horgan, Abraham by Geir Madland...

The Rising to the Crown of Richard the Third written by himself via Giles Fletcher - read by David Ault. This is a narrative poem about, as the title says, the rise of Richard III - it's part of a mini season of work on the various narratives on Richard that existed in the early modern period. We have also on the podcast looked at: The True Tragedy of Richard III - https://audioboom.com/posts/7664...

Exploring: The N-Town Play, a slow burn look at a medieval Mystery (sort of) cycle. The N-Town Play comes to us as a single manuscript, but it's a compilation of various different sources - including elements from what looks like a cycle and various other large scale productions focusing on episodes from the Bible. The journey continues with play seven, a prophets play - a bit of a breather before...

What's Past is Prologue: The True Tragedy of Richard III, by someone for the Queen's Men. The True Tragedy of Richard III is a a truly disturbing piece of Brechtian theatre, several centuries early, and one we'd like to do one day. Here's just the prologue/opening to tantalise and moderately annoy you. The opening is performed by Geir Madland as the ghost of Clarence, Pamela Flanagan as Truth, and...

Exploring: The N-Town Play, a slow burn look at a medieval Mystery (sort of) cycle. The N-Town Play comes to us as a single manuscript, but it's a compilation of various different sources - including elements from what looks like a cycle and various other large scale productions focusing on episodes from the Bible. The journey continues with the Moses play. We haven't done that much on Moses elsew...

Spoilers: The Tragedy of Mariam by Elizabeth Cary (Act 5) Welcome to this spoiler episode for The Tragedy of Mariam, the Fair Queen of Jewry by Elizabeth Cary - and it's very spoilery! The canvas has narrowed again for Act 5, as it's almost a solo turn by Herod. If it weren't for the arrival of Nuntio there would be no one else. With a plain text recording of the Act and chorus overview at the end...

Discussing: The Ghost of Richard III by Christopher Brooke with Dr Jitka Štollová. In 1614, Christopher Brooke produced his Ghost poem on the life of Richard III. To celebrate (wantonly plug) our live streamed stage adaptation, Robert Crighton discusses the poem and a whole world of other texts on Richard III. Dr Jitka Štollová is a Junior Research Fellow at Trinity College. At time of release - t...

Exploring: The N-Town Play, a slow burn look at a medieval Mystery (sort of) cycle. The N-Town Play comes to us as a single manuscript, but it's a compilation of various different sources - including elements from what looks like a cycle and various other large scale productions focusing on episodes from the Bible. The journey continues with the happy story of listening to the voices in your head,...

A special follow up discussion episode on John Heywood, to celebrate the release of John Heywood - Comedy and Survival in Tudor England by Greg Walker, Regius Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature at the University of Edinburgh. The book is a full biography of Heywood's life, from cradle to grave, and covers his complete surviving literary output. The book is published by Oxford University...

Welcome to this spoiler episode for The Tragedy of Mariam, the Fair Queen of Jewry by Elizabeth Cary - and it's very spoilery! It's all change again in Act 4, as Herod returns!  We say goodbye to Salome, Mariam, Doris... pretty much everyone except Herod.  With a plain text recording of the Act and chorus overview at the end. In the plain text: Introducing Geir Madland as Herod, with Pamela Flanag...

From the Winchester Dialogues this is a read through and discussion of Occupation and Idleness, edited from our zoom sessions on YouTube. Written sometime in the midst of the 15th century, this prefigures much of the interlude drama of the 16th century and deserves more attention. The explorers were Sascha Cooper, Liza Graham, Ruth Evans, Gregory Musson, and Iain Black. The host is Robert Crighton...

What's Past is Prologue: Eastward Ho! by Ben Jonson, George Chapman and John Marston. Eastward Ho! is a fantastic play, and one we'd like to do one day. Here's just the prologue to tantalise and moderately annoy you. The prologue is performed by the fabulous Sarah Golding, voice actor and audio producer extraordinary - you can hear Sarah Golding all over the podcasting world as a voice actor, and...

Exploring: The N-Town Play, a slow burn look at a medieval Mystery (sort of) cycle. The N-Town Play comes to us as a single manuscript, but it's a compilation of various different sources - including elements from what looks like a cycle and various other large scale productions focusing on episodes from the Bible. The journey continues with Noah and every child's favourite genocide story. For som...

Welcome to this spoiler episode for The Tragedy of Mariam, the Fair Queen of Jewry by Elizabeth Cary - and it's very spoilery! The plot pivots in Act 3, with some news of Herod. He's ALIVE! Cue a host of reactions, happy and sad. With a plain text recording of the Act and chorus overview at the end. In the plain text: with Pamela Flanagan as Salome, Gillian Horgan as Mariam, Rob Myson as Sohemus,...

What's Past is Prologue: The Dutch Courtesan by John Marston The Dutch Courtesan is a fascinating play, and one we'd like to do one day. Here's just the prologue to tantalise and moderately annoy you. The prologue is performed by the fabulous Sarah Golding, voice actor and audio producer extraordinary - you can hear Sarah Golding all over the podcasting world as a voice actor, and as the creator o...

Exploring: The N-Town Play, a slow burn look at a medieval Mystery (sort of) cycle. The N-Town Play comes to us as a single manuscript, but it's a compilation of various different sources - including elements from what looks like a cycle and various other large scale productions focusing on episodes from the Bible. The journey continues with Cain and Abel - and our first murder. Don't worry Cain f...

From the Winchester Dialogues this is a read through and discussion of Lucidus and Dubius, written sometime in the midst of the 15th century. There's some question as to whether this is actually a performed play, but we take it on principle that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck - it's a firking duck. Though there is no plot exactly, there is a relationship between the characters that...

Spoilers: The Tragedy of Mariam by Elizabeth Cary (Act 2) Welcome to this spoiler episode for The Tragedy of Mariam, the Fair Queen of Jewry by Elizabeth Cary - and it's very spoilery! After the enclosed first act, act 2 starts to open up the court.  There's still a lot going on, and this episode doesn't come close to covering it. We just ran out of time - again. With a plain text recording of the...

Exploring: The Disobedient Child by Thomas Ingleand This exploring episode was recorded virtually online, as the lockdown bites around the world - other virtual episodes are available as videos on YouTube, except this one, because of a few problems with the feed which are easier fixed in audio than video. More of these will come into the podcast as we go. The Disobedient Child was printed in the 1...