Beyond Shakespeare

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 18 (The Resurrection) 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 Resurrection play - guarding of the tomb goes bad for the knights, and the disciples get a surprise visitor. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Liz Cole, Rich...

Spoilers: Gammer Gurton's Needle (Act 5) Welcome to this spoilery introduction to the play Gammer Gurton's Needle by Mr S. We present a run down of the action, with commentary and clips, followed by a plain text recording of material in the edit for the final full cast audio adaptation (coming soon!) It's Act Five (feel free to go back to the beginning if you want to work chronologically), in whic...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 17 (The Harrowing of Hell) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. Some really interesting features to this play - it's not all harrowing action, there's some really interesting additional comic business as well. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Liz Cole, Richa...

The Malcontent by John Marston (Epilogue) - Epic Epilogues Performances of the epilogue to The Malcontent by John Marston - an act of fascinating arse licking to a one time enemy, Ben Jonson. This epilogue is best heard with the War of the Theatres in mind - because it is related to an earlier public spat with Jonson and others. Other epilogues to listen to are Cynthia's Revels and The Poetaster -...

Spoilers: Gammer Gurton's Needle (Act 4) Welcome to this spoilery introduction to the play Gammer Gurton's Needle by Mr S. We present a run down of the action, with commentary and clips, followed by a plain text recording of material in the edit for the final full cast audio adaptation (coming soon!) It's Act Four (feel free to go back to the beginning if you want to work chronologically), in whic...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 16a (The Crucifixion) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. This is play 16a (preceded, to be confusing, by play 16) of the Crucifixion. Some violence and abusive language. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Liz Cole, Richard Fawcett, Mark Scanlon, and Alan Sco...

The Cambridge Prologue (Fragment) An initial look at the Cambridge Prologue, a 13th Century survival of a lost play, which comes in two flavours - French and English. We focused on the English, performed by Gillian Horgan, who recorded three takes of our version of the text, mixed in with our exploring session looking into the original. More to come on this fascinating survival. The Beyond Shakesp...

Spoilers: Gammer Gurton's Needle (Act 3) Welcome to this spoilery introduction to the play Gammer Gurton's Needle by Mr S. We present a run down of the action, with commentary and clips, followed by a plain text recording of material in the edit for the final full cast audio adaptation (coming soon!) It's Act Three (feel free to go back to the prologue and act 1/2 if you want to work chronological...

Exploring: The Prodigal Son (Pater, Filius et Uxor) - A Fragment (printed c.1530) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this fragmentary play for future use towards an audio/stage show. The Prodigal Son survives as 84 lines of text, showing a wife threatening her husband with being made a cuckold, a son failing to sell wood, and a comic servant character making his entranc...

Spoilers: Gammer Gurton's Needle (Act 2) Welcome to this spoilery introduction to the play Gammer Gurton's Needle by Mr S. We present a run down of the action, with commentary and clips, followed by a plain text recording of material in the edit for the final full cast audio adaptation (coming soon!) It's Act Two (feel free to go back to the prologue and act one if you want to work chronologically...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 16 (The Trial) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. This is play 16 (to be followed by play 16a) of the Trial. Some violence and abusive language. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Liz Cole, Mark Scanlon, and Alan Scott as everyone else – with host, Robert Cr...

Spoilers: Gammer Gurton's Needle (Act 1) Welcome to this spoilery introduction to the play Gammer Gurton's Needle by Mr S. We present a run down of the action, with commentary and clips, followed by a plain text recording of material in the edit for the final full cast audio adaptation (coming soon!) Today it's Act One (feel free to go back to the prologue if you want to work chronologically), whi...

The Poetaster by Ben Jonson (Prologue) - What's Past Is Prologue A performance of the pre-show material to The Poetaster by Ben Jonson. It's a fun start which is very much caught up in attacking Jonson's rivals. We;'re only slightly joking when we suggest you watch this video at the same time as the introduction to the podcast - https://youtu.be/3tmd-ClpJxA - because there is a relationship betwee...

Spoilers: Gammer Gurton's Needle (The Prologue) Welcome to this spoilery introduction to the play Gammer Gurton's Needle by Mr S. We present a run down of the action, with commentary and clips, followed by a plain text recording of material in the edit for the final full cast audio adaptation (coming soon!) Today it's the prologue, which lays out (almost) the entire plot of the play, including the...

Discussing: The York Corpus Christi Play Host Robert Crighton discusses with Dr Christina M. Fitzgerald the York Corpus Christi Play and her Broadview edition of 27 selected pageants – which can be found in all good bookshops or via this link - https://broadviewpress.com/product/the-york-corpus-christi-play-selected-pageants/?ph=9aca224f1207703b2563bc35#tab-description Dr Christina M. Fitzgerald (...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 15 From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. This is the Bakers play of the Last Supper and Betrayal. Some ear splitting action. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Richard Fawcett as Jesus, with Liz Cole, Mark Scanlon, Mark Saberton and Alan Scott as everyone else...

The Family of Love by Somebody (Prologue) - What's Past Is Prologue A performance of the prologue to The Family of Love by various possible contenders (we're not really sure if we should take sides on fiddly authorship questions). If you'd like to make us to do a full audio production of this play, join us on patreon and choose this play at the next vote. www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare or you c...

A Full Cast Audio Adaptation of Jack Juggler Jack Juggler decides to get his revenge on one Jenkin Careaway, a servant to Master Bongrace. He does this by stealing the identity of Careaway, and causing his mistress and master to turn against him. A knockabout Tudor comedy, probably originally performed by children or students, first printed in 1575. This is the first play from our season of work c...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 14 From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show.  We're playing around with how to make these pieces come alive for people today, starting with these recordings of reads through and workshops.  Chester play 14 is the Corvisors (Shoemaker's) play of the entry into Jerusalem, Mary Magdal...

Spoilers: Jack Juggler 6 (The Epilogue) Welcome to this spoilery introduction to the play Jack Juggler by Someone. We present a run down of the action, with commentary and clips, followed by a plain text recording of material in the edit for the final full cast audio adaptation (coming soon!)    Today it's the epilogue, which attempts a desperate moral rearguard action to give the play a purpose n...

The Nice Valour by Various People (Prologue) - What's Past Is Prologue A performance of the prologue to The Nice Valour or, The Passionate Madman by various possible contenders (we're not really sure if we should take sides on fiddly authorship questions).  If you'd like to make us to do a full audio production of this play, join us on patreon and choose this play at the next vote. www.patreon.com...

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 13 From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show.  We're playing around with how to make these pieces come alive for people today, starting with these recordings of reads through and workshops.  Chester play 13 is the Glovers play of the healing of the blind man and the raising of Lazar...

Spoilers: Jack Juggler 5 (Close of Play, or Careaway's Excuses!) Welcome to this spoilery introduction to the play Jack Juggler by Someone. We present a run down of the action, with commentary and clips, followed by a plain text recording of material in the edit for the final full cast audio adaptation (coming soon!)    Today it's the close of play where Jenkin Careaway is confronted by his mistre...

Two Angry Women of Abington by Henry Porter (Prologue) - What's Past Is Prologue A performance of the prologue to Two Angry Women of Abington by Henry Porter - the only play by Henry Porter that has survived the winds of history. He seems to have been fairly successful, until he was a tad bit murdered by another playwright. Everyone's a critic. If you'd like to make us to do a full audio productio...

Spoilers: Jack Juggler 4 (The Big Scene, or I'm Jenkin Careaway!) Welcome to this spoilery introduction to the play Jack Juggler by Someone. We present a run down of the action, with commentary and clips, followed by a plain text recording of material in the edit for the final full cast audio adaptation (coming soon!)    Today it's the big action scene where Jack Juggler confronts Jenkin Careaway...