The Troublesome Reign of James Burbage – Part 1
James Burbage’s playhouse, The Theatre, was the setting for a real life drama as exciting and tragic as any Shakespeare …
Category: Shakespeare and his World
Stories and reflections on William Shakespeare’s life and works, his contemporaries and the Elizabethan theatre, the basis for my biographical novel ‘Not Wisely but Too Well’ available from Smashwords.
Did Shakespeare Write Shakespeare? The Authorship Contenders
If William Shakespeare didn’t write Shakespeare, then who did? By the end of the eighteenth century, by virtue of …
A Sound Machiavel: The Plays of Christopher Marlowe
In reality, we know little about Shakespeare’s contemporary, Christopher Marlowe, and much of his reputation is based on his dark …
Bad Quartos and the Myth of the Memorial Reconstruction
Shakespearean scholars have long imagined that Elizabethan actors would help publish pirate copies of Shakespeare’s plays for a few shillings …
The Taming of the Shrew and Commedia dell’Arte
How direct is the relationship between Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ and Commedia dell’Arte? Probably the funniest production …
Shakespeare on Screen
A quick guide for students and teachers to where to find filmed versions of Shakespeare’s plays on DVD and to …
Kiss Me, Petruchio
This hidden gem on YouTube shows us a young and radiant Meryl Streep as Kate and a sexy Raul Julia …
Deciphering Shakespeare in Love
‘Shakespeare in Love’ is a wonderful film, but as far as historical accuracy is concerned, it’s almost total bunkum from …
Thomas Kyd and The Spanish Tragedy
The most popular Elizabethan play was not by Shakespeare, but by someone who would have a profound influence on him. …
Much Ado About Nothing
William Shakespeare has left us with little documentary evidence about his life and works, but that hasn’t stopped his followers …
Did Shakespeare write Shakespeare? Debunking the usual suspects
As with all conspiracy theories, the proponents of the Shakespearean Authorship Debate put their theories forward as ‘questions’, questions that …
Christopher Marlowe’s History of Violence
With his dark and violent reputation Christopher Marlowe has never been seen as a suitable friend for the gentle Shakespeare. …