The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Stage

This Companion is designed for readers interested in past and present productions of Shakespeare’s plays, both in and beyond Britain. The first six chapters describe aspects of the British performing tradition in chronological sequence, from the early staging of Shakespeare’s own time, through to the present day. Each relates Shakespearean developments to broader cultural concerns and adopts an individual approach and focus, on textual adaptation, acting, stages, scenery or theatre management. These are followed by three explorations of acting: tragic and comic actors and women performers of Shakespeare roles. A section on international performance includes chapters on interculturalism, on touring companies and on political theatre, with separate accounts of the performing traditions of North America, Asia and Africa. Over forty pictures illustrate peformers and productions of Shakespeare from around the world. An amalgamated list of items for further reading completes the book.

• Accessible and informative introduction to the performance of Shakespeare, from early productions to the present day, in both British and international productions • Complements previously published Companion to Shakespeare and Companion to Shakespeare on Film • Written by a team of internationally-known Shakespeare specialists

List of illustrations; Preface; 1. Shakespeare plays on Renaissance stages Gary Taylor; 2. Improving Shakespeare: from the Restoration to Garrick Jean I. Marsden; 3. Romantic Shakespeare Jane Moody; 4. Pictorial Shakespeare Richard W. Schoch; 5. Reconstructive Shakespeare: reproducing Elizabethan and Jacobean stages Marion O’Connor; 6. Twentieth-century performance: the Stratford and London companies Robert Smallwood; 7. The tragic actor and Shakespeare Simon Williams; 8. The comic actor and Shakespeare Peter Thomson; 9. Women and Shakespearean performance Penny Gay; 10. International Shakespeare Anthony B. Dawson; 11. Touring Shakespeare Peter Holland; 12. Shakespeare on the political stage in the twentieth century Wilhelm Hortmann; 13. Shakespeare in North America Michael A. Morrison; 14. Shakespeare on the stages of Asia John Gillies, Ryuta Minami, Ruru Li and Poonam Trivedi; 15. Shakespeare and Africa Martin Banham, Roshni Mooneeram and Jane Plastow; Further reading; Index.

‘The extraordinary range and learning encapsulated in The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Stage make it an invaluable guide for students of Shakespeare in Performance across the globe, either for extended reading or topical search.’ Ian Carruthers, La Trobe

‘The admirable collection of essays gathered in The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Stage is an invaluable aid to students and teachers. Jargon free, it provides succinct but detailed coverage of British and international stage performances of Shakespeare … a splendid book … Shakespeare on Stage is a first-class resource for anyone interested in Shakespeare in performance … the quality of writing provides a rich fund of thought-provoking essay titles and seminar topics.’ Around the Globe

‘All in all, a remarkable volume: one of the best in the Cambridge Companions series. In short, all libraries should purchase.’ Reference Reviews

‘Once again, the Cambridge University Press has clearly spared no effort or expense to bring us this absorbing Companion … It is the type of book which is easily accessible to everyone who loves to act or direct - or just to read the collected works. The contributors are an amalgam of literary giants and Shakespeare authorities as well as critics and practitioners of his plays.’ Amateur Stage

‘Once again, the Cambridge University Press has clearly spared no effort or expense to bring us this absorbing Companion which I suspect will find places on the shelves of scholars, teachers and practitioners of both the works of Shakespeare and of theatre practice throughout the world … it is a book which will never leave my shelves other than for my own indulgent browsing …’. Amateur Stage