The History Of European Theatre
A podcast tracing the development of theatre from ancient Greece to the present day through the places and people who made theatre happen. More than just dates and lists of plays we'll learn about the social. political and historical context that fostered the creation of dramatic art.This podcast u...
Recent Episodes
Sept. 16, 2024
Titus Andronicus: 'Vengeance Is In My Heart, Death In My Hand'
Episode 135: Is Shakespeare’s early tragedy more than just a gore-fest? The first performance of the play, maybe The three playing troupes involved with the play Is the play a collaboration with George Peele? The popularity …
Sept. 14, 2024
Adventures In Theatre History - Philadelphia: The Book
A short word from my good podcasting friend Peter Schmitz, he of the ‘Adventures In Theatre History Philadelphia’ podcast, who has written a book on that very subject and I’m sure that it will be as informative, as amusing a…
Sept. 9, 2024
Shakespeare, the Bible and Dorothy L Sayers: A Conversation with Jem Bloomfield
Episode 134: Author Jem Bloomfield joins us to talk about his recently published book, ‘Allusion in Detective Fiction’, which looks at how and why allusion to Shakespeare and the Bible was used by the masters, or I should sa…
Sept. 2, 2024
The Taming of the Shrew: ‘No Profit Grows Where No Pleasure Is taken’
Episode 133: The complications with dating the play and it’s relationship with a similar Elizabethan play The sources for the play A short summary of the play The Christopher Sly framing device Switching of roles in the play…
Aug. 26, 2024
Richard 3rd at Shakespeare's Globe
Episode 132 My thoughts on seeing a recent production of Richard 3rd at Shakespeare's Globe, starring Michelle Terry in the titular role. The production and the controversy that surrounded it raises questions about gender fl…
Aug. 19, 2024
Richard 3rd: 'And Thus I Clothe My Naked Villainy'
Episode 131: Richard 3rd: ‘And Thus I Clothe My Naked Villainy.’ Shakespeare dramatises the life of the last Plantagenet king and create one of theatre's most spectacular villains. The dating of the play The quarto editions …
Aug. 12, 2024
The search for Richard 3rd: A Conversation with Mathew Morris
Episode 130: Mathew Morris talk to me about the archaeological dig that resulted in the discovery of the final remains of Richard 3rd, which serves as a prelude to the next episode which will be all about Shakespeare’s take …
Aug. 5, 2024
Henry 6th part 3: ‘How sweet a thing it is to wear a crown.’
Episode 129: A brief recap on the dating and sources of the play A brief synopsis of the play The problem of multiple battlefield scenes and the depiction of violence How language in the play is used to underline the changin…
July 29, 2024
John Hall of Stratford-Upon-Avon: A Conversation with John Taplin
Episode 128: Author John Taplin discusses researching the Stratford families of Shakespeare's time and particularly the ancestry of John Hall, Shakespeare's son-in-law. John Taplin spent the majority of his career in managem…
July 22, 2024
Henry 6th part 2: ‘The Fox Barks Not When He Would Steal the Lamb’
Episode 127: A recap of Henry VI part one and the potential involvement of Christopher Marlowe A word on methods of authorship attribution in the context of Shakespeare and Marlowe The dating and sources of the play A synops…
July 15, 2024
Shakespeare’s Borrowed Feathers: A Conversation with Dr. Darren Freebury-Jones
Episode 126: A conversation with Dr. Darren Freebury-Jones, author of 'Shakespeare’s Borrowed Feathers' about the influence of early modern playwrights on Shakespeare where we talk about Marlowe, Kyd, Greene and others and t…
July 8, 2024
Henry 6th part 1: ‘My Thoughts Are Whirled Like a Potter's Wheel’
Episode 125: A detailed look at the first Shakespearean history play 'Henry 6th part 1' The problems with dating 1 Henry VI How much of the play did Shakespeare write? The relationship of the play to parts 2 and 3 The source…
Recent Blog Posts
The Peacham Drawing: Titus Andronicus
'Titus Andronicus' is notable for being the subject of the only contemporary illustration of a Shakespeare play. Known as the Peacham drawing, and currently in the Library at Longleat House in Wiltshire, the seat of the Marquis of Bath, the dr…
New Place, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Featured in episode 123: The History of New Place
Here are three images to help you visualize Shakespeare’s house in Stratford-Upon-Avon, New Place.
The first is a view of the site as it stands today. The side of the house you can see i…
Mystere des Trois Doms
Featured in episode 61: For the Money: The Medieval Commercial Theatre
Ever wondered what a medieval play script looks like? This image is a page from the script for ‘Mystere des Trois Doms’.
This play was produced in 1509 at Roma…
