Shakespeare in Elizabethan Costume: 'Period Dress' in Twenty-First-Century Performance

The meanings originally communicated by Elizabethan and Jacobean dress have long been confined to history. This book examines why this approach to design appeals to contemporary directors, designers, and audiences and how it has shaped the meaning of Shakespeares works in specific performance contexts. It discusses the practicalities of historical reconstruction and the appeal of early modern sartorial culture as an embodiment of wonder, spectacle, and the supernatural. Productions discussed include Shakespeares Globe's production of Henry V (1997), the National Theatre's Twelfth Night (2017), and the Royal Shakespeare Company's The Tempest (2016).

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 13 July 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The meanings originally communicated by Elizabethan and Jacobean dress have long been confined to history, yet why have doublets, hose, ruffs, and farthingales featured in many Shakespeare productions staged since the turn of the 21st century? This book scrutinizes the popular practice of costuming Shakespeares plays in Elizabethan and Jacobean dress, exploring why this approach to design appeals to contemporary directors, designers, and audiences and how it has shaped the meaning of Shakespeares works in specific performance contexts. Informed by original interviews with several prominent theatre practitioners, including Emma Rice, Gregory Doran, Jenny Tiramani, Simon Godwin, Stephen Brimson Lewis, and Tom Piper, Shakespeare in Elizabethan Costume delves into how various 21st-century Shakespeare productions have drawn on myths and desires associated with early modern clothing. Discussions range from the practicalities of historical reconstruction to the appeal of early modern sartorial culture as an embodiment of wonder, spectacle, and the supernatural. Productions discussed include Shakespeares Globe s production of Henry V (1997), the National Theatre s Twelfth Night (2017), and the Royal Shakespeare Companys The Tempest (2016). Ella Hawkins examines the minutiae of modern design, including how seams are sewn and where fabrics are sourced, as well as the widespread cultural movements that have produced our modern relationship with the period of Shakespeares lifetime. This is the first book to explore fully the significance of Elizabethan-inspired design in contemporary Shakespearean performance.

Shakespeare in Elizabethan Costume

reframes so-called ’period costuming as a dynamic collection of practices capable of refashioning textual meanings, reflecting present-day perspectives, and challenging traditional assumptions about the past. By examining the ways in which Elizabethan-inspired design is employed in contemporary Shakespearean performance, this book offers a fresh perspective on the enduring power of Shakespeares works and their relevance to modern audiences.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350234451