The Shakespearean Stage
1574 - 1642

It's interesting to find out how the famous Shakespearean Plays were first performed, under which conditions, where and exactly how. Much research has gone into these questions, and one book sums it up brilliantly:

The Shakespearean Stage is the only authoritative book that describes all the main features of the original staging of Shakespearean drama in one volume: the acting companies and their acting styles, the playhouses, the staging and the audiences.

For twenty years it has been hailed as not only the most reliable but the liveliest and most entertaining overview of Shakespearean theater available to students.

For this third edition Professor Gurr has substantially revised the book, bringing it right up to date and incorporating many new discoveries, including those of the archaeologists at the sites of the Rose and Globe theaters.

The invaluable appendix, which lists all the plays performed at a particular playhouse, the playing company and date of performance, has also been revised and rearranged.

Here's what some crtitcs say about this excellent book:

"Here is a concise, compact, well-organized guide to the premises, practices and finances of the actors; I cannot imagine a handier labor-saving device for the student who has been recommended to read far more than he has time for." Drama

"Gurr's book is admirable in the way it condenses a great deal of technical information into a readable and judicious account. Gurr writes graciously, has a gift for piquant illustration, and provides us with generous quotations from essential documents..." David Bevington, Shakespeare Quarterly

"Andrew Gurr's The Shakespearean Stage is already the standard overview: the Third Edition now ensures that any possible competition will be beaten off for years to come. Mr. Gurr has carried out a thorough revision that includes the recent discoveries of the sites of the Rose and Globe theatres....Mr. Gurr brings a fresh eye to the issues....The Shakespearean Stage is a most accomplished, deft, and well-organized charting of a vast territory. It remains an indispensable companion." Ralph Berry, Dalhousie Review

Shakespearean Stage

Keywords for this page: shakespearean stage, shakespearean plays, shakespearean drama , shakespearean acting companies , shakespearean acting style, rose and globe theaters, shakespeare