Beyond Shakespeare

Exploring: The Norwich Grocers' Play - A and B text. We're taking a break from N-Town to look at another East Anglian play text - or texts - two differing versions of a pageant from Norwich. Sadly we can't currently find an online version of the text to follow along with - so have a hunt if you can. For contrast of other Adam and Eve plays, go to the last couple of N-Town exploring sessions or her...

Exploring: The Tragedy of Antony (Act 5) From our pre-production Exploring sessions, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. The Tragedy of Antony is a translation of Robert Garnier's play, done into English by Mary Sidney, or Mary Herbert (Countess of Pembroke), in 1592. These are recordings of various readers and actors working through Act 5, as we...

Sophonisba by John Marston (Epilogue) - Epic Epilogues Performances of the epilogue to Sophonisba by John Marston - the prologue is also available as part of a sort of Marston sandwich. The epilogue is performed (a few times) by Fiona Thraille - a British voice actor, narrator and audio producer who has worked in voiceover, podcasts, and who has narrated and produced over a dozen audiobooks throug...

Spoilers: The Tragedy of Mariam by Elizabeth Cary (Act 1) 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 our favourite Act, it's got so much going on, and this episode doesn't come close to covering it. We just ran out of time. With a plain text recording of the Act and chorus overview at the end. In the plain tex...

Due to the arrival of plague, we're having to adjust our plans for the next couple of years. Robert Crighton outlines our plans for keeping going during this difficult year to come. The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is supported by its patrons. Go to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare or for one off support go to https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare . You can follow us on Twitter @BeyondShakes or even...

A Letter from the Privy Council to the Lord Mayor and the Aldermen of the City of London from 28th January 1593 - ordering the closing of public entertainment spaces. 

Exploring: The Tragedy of Antony (Act 4) From our pre-production Exploring sessions, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. The Tragedy of Antony is a translation of Robert Garnier's play, done into English by Mary Sidney, or Mary Herbert (Countess of Pembroke), in 1592. These are recordings of various readers and actors working through Act 4, as we...

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 - in that we actually start all over again! We return to play...

What's Past is Prologue: Sophonisba by John Marston - a quick look at the prologue, which really is a prologue. Sophonisba opens with business. Businessy business, and people and stuff. It's an all plot prologue and it is necessary. Look at these people move. And if you're really good, there'll be the epilogue soon. In fact, if you're a patron, it's available now. A Sophonisba sandwich, if you wil...

The Hunting of Cupid by George Peele (Fragments) This is not a reconstruction of this lost play, because most of the fragments are notebook scratchings by William Drummond and make almost no sense. So we've put together this tone poem that dances through the text in a fun way which we hope you'll enjoy. It's also followed by a more straightforward look at the fragments from our exploring sessions...

Exploring: The Tragedy of Antony (Act 3) From our pre-production Exploring sessions, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. The Tragedy of Antony is a translation of Robert Garnier's play, done into English by Mary Sidney, or Mary Herbert (Countess of Pembroke), in 1592. These are recordings of various readers and actors working through Act 3, as we...

Exploring: Somebody and Others (Fragment) This play is called variously (because there isn't a proper title) Somebody and Others, or The Spoiling of Lady Verity, or Somebody, Avarice and Minister - dated to around 1547 to 1550 (the maximum range is from 1534 to 1562) and possibly printed around 1550 - it is apparently an adaptation of French play - which we've not seen. As with all these sessions...

Spoilers: The Tragedy of Mariam by Elizabeth Cary (Introduction and Argument) Welcome to this first spoiler episode to The Tragedy of Mariam, the Fair Queen of Jewry by Elizabeth Cary - and it's sort of not very spoilery! It's all about backstory and what comes before the action of the play (though there are some spoilers to the play). Host Robert Crighton attempts to explain the backstory and the...

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. We continue with Play 2, following the story of the fall of Adam and Eve. It follow...

Exploring: The Cruel Debtor (Fragment) - written by one of the Wagers, William or Lewis. This play survives in a couple of fragments and we may not have quite pieced it all together properly - or not put in the correct gaps - but there's a lot of fun material to play with in this big con of a play. One day we will come back, yes one day, but till then, here's a starting point for a fuller producti...

A Looking Glass for London and England (Epilogue) - Epic Epilogues Performances of the epilogue to A Looking Glass for London and England by Robert Greene and Thomas Lodge - a sort of late style morality tale (c1589ish) to show the people of England a cautionary tale that they might learn from. The epilogue is performed (a few times) by Fiona Thraille - a British voice actor, narrator and audio pr...

Exploring: The Tragedy of Antony (Act 2) From our pre-production Exploring sessions, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. The Tragedy of Antony is a translation of Robert Garnier's play, done into English by Mary Sidney, or Mary Herbert (Countess of Pembroke), in 1592. These are recordings of various readers and actors working through the the bulk...

Fragments: Processus Satanae - Or, Satan Vs God (Case Number 666) It's cue script time again - the text known as Processus Satanae is mostly the dialogue for the character God, with a few words as cues for the lines. It's a tricky one to date - somewhere around 1560 is the best guess, but it could come anywhere between 1500-80. The plot is simple. Satan sues God for ram raiding hell and stealing A...

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. We start with Play 1, following the story of the fall of Lucifer. It's a super shor...

What's Past is Prologue: Tamburlaine the Great, Part 2 - a quick look at the prologue to the slightly murdery play by Christopher Marlowe. Tamburlaine the Great was so great it seems that Marlowe had to write a sequel, with a prologue telling us that the first part was so great it required the play the audience were about to witness. As it were.  The prologue is performed by the fabulous Sarah Gol...

Exploring: The Tragedy of Antony (Act 1 into 2) From our pre-production Exploring sessions, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. The Tragedy of Antony is a translation of Robert Garnier's play, done into English by Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke in 1592. These are recordings of various readers and actors working through the first Act, and part...

Discussing Jack Drum's Entertainment by John Marston - with Sam Plumb, director of a production of the play with the Young Actors Company in 2016. Host Robert Crighton has a lengthy chat about the play, their production, working with youth theatre, and the nature of an Entertainment. And there's a bonus recording of the pre-show introduction, with Rob Myson as the Tireman. You can watch a recordin...

Happy New Year, if it is New Year yet, it probably is somewhere... anyway. Here's a little (fairly rambly) catch up from host Robert Crighton about the podcast at the end of the year, into the next, and projecting into the future. There's also a little bit on A Game at Chess, which is our five year plan. And an appeal to get involved - by joining us in Exploring A Game at Chess by Thomas Middleton...

The Stage-Players Complaint by Anonymous (printed 1641) This is a performance of a dialogue between two players, Cane of the Fortune and Reed of the Friars, complaining that the plague has closed the playhouses. Of course, we know from afar that there's worse to come for the theatre in a very short time. The times are a changing, and not for the better. Amidst the general hope for employment is a...

The Life and Death of Jack Straw by the Unknown - A Full Cast Audio Adaptation The Peasants Revolt has begun! Jack Straw and his fellow rebels head to London to demand an end to unfair taxes from the king. The fourteen year old king Richard II and his counsellors are completely unprepared for the revolt that quickly spirals out of control.  "We owe God a death, and we can but die!" Jack Straw is p...