Beyond Shakespeare

A Full Cast Audio Adaptation of Gammer Gurton's Needle by Mr S.  A Comedy in which Gammer Gurton loses her needle, which opens up the household to mischief by one Diccon, the Bedlam.  Diccon was played by Heydn McCabe, Hodge by Geir Madland, Tib by Gillian Horgan, Gammer Gurton by Sarah Golding, Cock by Simon Nader, Dame Chat by Pamela Flanagan, Doctor Rat by Rob Myson and Master Baily by Andy Bar...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 24 (Judgement) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. It's the end - except it isn't really, because we're just going to start on another mystery cycle anyway. And we'll go back over all of this again at some point. The great journey of life continues. Anyway, This is the Websta...

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 4) Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. This is the end, as there is no Act 4 - except it isn't as we're doing a lot more with this play - skip to about 16 minutes in for news on this.  Jack is dead, the rebels captured, it's time for justice/retribution. And a lot of politics on how...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 23 (Antichrist) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. We're almost done with the past, for soon we'll be into the future!  This is the Diars play of the Antichrist - or Antechrist - where someone decides to blow the season budget on the penultimate show. It's got magic, it's go...

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 3, Scene 3) Note: The precise scene division of Act Three is debatable, this episode goes from the general re-entrance of the king and the rebels after the mini scene with the Queen Mother. Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. This is the beginning of the end. Farewell Jack... this pa...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 22 (Prophets of the Antichrist) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. We're almost done with the past, for soon we'll be into the future!  This is the Clotheworkers play of the Prophets of the Antichrist, where everyone gets high and reenact their dream journal. It's a strange...

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 3, Scene 2) Note: The precise scene division of Act Three is debatable, this episode goes from the general exit of the king and the rebels after the parley up to their re-entrance. Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. This is a little interlude scene, where Tom Miller and Nobs pass th...

Mundus et Infans or, The World and the Child by anonymous (dated somewhere before 1522). Mundus et Infans is a morality play in miniature, like other surviving morality plays, but scaled down to - potentially - only two actors.  It follows the shape of the other medieval morality plays we have - Castle of Perseverance et al - in that a man grows up to sin in the world and is guided back to good in...

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 3, Scene 1) Note: The precise scene division of Act Three is debatable, this episode goes up to the general exit of the king and the rebels after the parley. Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. The start of Act 3 sees our heroes meet for the first time - with the king giving in to th...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 21 (Pentecost) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. We're almost done with the past, for soon we'll be into the future!  This is the Fishmongers play of Pentecost, where the team break up for the regular season finale. There are only three more plays to go, but they are - in v...

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 2, Scenes 2 to 5) Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. The rest of Act 2, following the goose scene, is a blur of incident as the rebellion sparks off into violence following a failed parley on the banks of the river Thames.  The scenes are illustrated via a rough cut of our soon to b...

Nice Wanton, by anonymous (dated somewhere between 1547 - 1553) - with the version that we have having probably been revised around 1560. Nice Wanton is a fascinating interlude, a moral tale that is... somewhat judgy. Anything fun is bad and will lead to disease, poverty and death. As usual, a rough read through - with only a couple of "strong message here" accidental reading of stage directions a...

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 2, Scene 1) GOOSE ALERT - GOOSE ALERT Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. Act 2, scene 1 is the scene everyone remembers. There isn't enough time in the world to discuss the moral complexity of this deeply intellectual scene. Okay, it's a bit of Pantomime business - but it's great an...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 20 (The Ascension) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. We're almost done with the past, for soon we'll be into the future!  This is the Taylors play of the Ascension, where Jesus... ascends. There's a big visual/musical element to this play which we just can't do justice - an...

Discussing: T is for Tarlton - Early Modern Celebrity with Sophie Shorland. This episode is a discussion with Sophie Shorland about Early Modern Celebrity - specifically looking at Sir Philip Sidney, Moll Cutpurse and - mostly - Richard Tarlton. We look at stories of his life, the myths and half truths, and are introduced to his animal avatar. With recordings of our workshops on Tarlton's Jests -...

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 1, Scene 4) Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. Act 1, scene 4 sees the crown get it together with this whole rebel alliance thing. Enter the royal family to the various lords we've already met. Something, at last, is going to be done. The scene is illustrated via a rough cut of our...

Exploring: Love Feigned and Unfeigned (A Fragmentary play c.1540 and 1560) Another fragment - and it's a not so short fragment, a couple hundred lines - and it's a play dancing around ideas of conditional and unconditional love (to God, to your friends, etc...) as well as the motivations of deceit and the pretence of friendship. There's more to mine from this than this recording suggests, it was a...

Discussing: Volpone by Ben Jonson Host Robert Crighton discusses with Charlie Day of Fresh Life Theatre Company their production of Ben Jonson's play Volpone. The show is coming to Bath in October 2019, and there is a kickstarter campaign to help get it on - support them and their work via the links below. And if you'd like to listen to the prologue to the play - it can be heard here . Support thi...

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 1, Scene 3) Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. Act 1, scene 3 returns us to the midst of the rebels - and they've been doing a little bit of looting, and have raided at least one castle. The scene is illustrated via a rough cut of our soon to be released full cast audio adaptation -...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 19 (Lucas and Cleophas & Doubting Thomas) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. We're into the home straight now, with the appearance of Jesus to various disciples. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Liz Cole, Richard Fawcett, Mark Scanlon, and Alan Scott –...

Antonio and Mellida by John Marston (Epilogue) - Epic Epilogues Performances of the epilogue to Antonio and Mellida by John Marston - a piece of action that will one day be used as a bit of ammunition in the War of the Theatres - because Ben Jonson will steal the image presented here and use it against Marston. Another epilogue to listen to is  The Poetaster - it's really fun - though a brief extr...

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 1, Scene 2) Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. Act 1, scene 2 sees the first reaction to the revolt, and the introduction to some... short lived characters. The scene is illustrated via a rough cut of our soon to be released full cast audio adaptation - which languishes in the edit...

Exploring: John the Evangelist - 1520-57 (printed c.1550) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. John the Evangelist is a strange beast, with little in the way of plot it's a series of scenes orbiting the preaching of the titular character. Whilst it's fair to say we didn't warm to the dialogue, the dramaturgy of the pla...

God's Promises by John Bale - an omnibus edition of our plain text version. No frills, just the text, all in one episode.  This version was started over six years ago and reflects the evolving working practice of our producers.  One day, we will go back... one day. Online editions of the play are available - here's one, others can and should be searched for. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/19481/1...

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 1, Scene 1) Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. Act 1, scene 1 sees the beginning of the revolt, and the introduction to a lot of characters. The scene is illustrated via a rough cut of our soon to be released full cast audio adaptation - which languishes in the edit as we post this....