Players of Shakespeare 4

This is the fourth volume of essays by actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Twelve actors describe the Shakespearian roles they played in productions between 1992 and 1997. The contributors are Christopher Luscombe, David Tennant, Michael Siberry, Richard McCabe, David Troughton, Susan Brown, Paul Jesson, Jane Lapotaire, Philip Voss, Julian Glover, John Nettles, and Derek Jacobi. The plays covered include The Merchant of Venice, Love’s Labours Lost, The Taming of the Shrew, The Winter’s Tale, and Romeo and Juliet, among others. The essays divide equally among comedies, histories, and tragedies, with emphasis among the comedies on those notoriously difficult ‘clown’ roles. A brief biographical note is provided for each of the contributors and an introduction places the essays in the context of the Stratford and London stages.

• Contributors include Sir Derek Jacobi, Jane Lapotaire and Philip Voss - all internationally-known actors • Continues the successful group of Players of Shakespeare books • Provides a glimpse into the working methods of actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company

List of illustrations; Preface; Introduction Robert Smallwood; Lancelot Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice and Moth in Love’s Labour’s Lost Christopher Luscombe; Touchstone in As You Like It David Tennant; Petruccio in The Taming of the Shrew Michael Siberry; Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale Richard McCabe; Richard III David Troughton; Queen Elizabeth in Richard III Susan Brown; Henry VIII Paul Jesson; Queen Katherine in Henry VIII Jane Lapotaire; Menenius in Coriolanus Philip Voss; Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet Julian Glover; Brutus in Julius Caesar John Nettles; Macbeth Derek Jacobi; Production credits.

‘ … excellent reading … The fluency and wit with which all of these actors discuss the texts they perform puts us professional academics to shame. The book is thoroughly to be recommended.’ Times Literary Supplement