This 2002 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.
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.
