New Playwriting at Shakespeare's Globe

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is known for commissioning innovative and distinctive new plays that respond to the unique characteristics and identity of the venue. This is the first book to focus on the new drama commissioned and produced at the Globe, analyzing how the specific qualities of the venue have shaped those works and assessing the influences of both past and present. The author argues that the reconstructed theatre fosters creativity in the present, responding to the theatre's characteristic architecture, complex set of cultural references, and heterogeneous audience. New Playwriting at Shakespeares Globe offers a fascinating study of the fruitful influences of both past and present in today's theatre.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 27 June 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is a global landmark that pays tribute to the dramatic art of Shakespeare and his contemporaries while also commissioning innovative and distinctive new plays that reflect the unique characteristics and identity of the venue. This groundbreaking book is the first to delve into the new drama commissioned and produced at the Globe, analyzing how the specific qualities of the venue have shaped these works and assessing the influences of both past and present in the performances staged.

The author argues that the reconstructed theatre is not just a monument to the past but rather a catalyst for creativity in the present. It fosters a creative environment that must respond to the theatre's distinctive architecture, complex set of cultural references, and diverse audience. The new plays at the Globe, much like the reconstructed "wooden O," emphasize the relevance of the past for the present and give spectators a prominent role.

In examining the scores of new plays produced since 1995, the author explores how they illuminate issues such as staging, space, spectators, identity, and history, which are crucial to understanding much contemporary theatre. Two notable examples, Howard Brenton's In Extremis and Anne Boleyn, receive detailed consideration as examples of the rich and productive connection between the playwrights' creativity and the theatres' potential.

For readers interested in new writing for the stage and in the work of one of London's iconic theatre spaces, New Playwriting at Shakespeares Globe offers a fascinating study of the fruitful influences of both past and present in today's theatre.

Weight: 324g
Dimension: 139 x 215 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350118836