Players of Shakespeare 3

This is the third volume of essays by actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Thirteen actors describe the Shakespearian roles they played in productions between 1987 and 1991. The contributors are Roger Allam, Simon Russell Beale, Brian Cox, Gregory Doran, Penny Downie, Ralph Fiennes, Deborah Findlay, Philip Franks, Anton Lesser, Maggie Steed, Sophie Thompson, Harriet Walter and Nicholas Woodeson. The plays covered include Hamlet, Richard III, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure and important theatrical rarities such as Cymbeline, Titus Andronicus, King John and the Henry VI plays in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s highly successful adaptation retitled The Plantagenets. A brief biographical note is provided for each of the contributors.

• Third paperback in the very successful Players of Shakespeare collection • First-hand view of working methods and preparation for the roles • Contains numerous illustrations of the actors in performance

List of illustrations; Preface; Introduction Robert Smallwood; The Duke in Measure for Measure Roger Allam; Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing Maggie Steed; Portia in The Merchant of Venice Deborah Findlay; Solanio in The Merchant of Venice Gregory Doran; Rosalind (and Celia) in As You Like It Sophie Thompson; King John Nicholas Woodeson; King Henry VI Ralph Fiennes; Queen Margaret in Henry VI and Richard III Penny Downie; Richard of Gloucester in Henry VI and Richard III Anton Lesser; Thersites in Troilus and Cressida Simon Russell Beale; Titus Andronicus Brian Cox; Hamlet Philip Franks; Imogen in Cymbeline Harriet Walter; Production credits.

‘... one of the best sources of practical Shakespearean criticism this century.’ The Observer