Renaissance Drama in Action is a fascinating exploration of Renaissance theatre practice and staging. Covering questions of contemporary playhouse design, verse and language, staging and rehearsal practices, and acting styles, Martin White relates the characteristics of Renaissance theatre to the issues involved in staging the plays today.
This refreshingly accessible volume:
* examines the history of the plays on the English stage from the seventeenth century to the present day
* explores questions arising from reconstructions, with particular reference to the new Globe Theatre
* includes interviews with, and draws on the work and experience of modern theatre practitioners including Harriet Walter, Matthew Warchus, Trevor Nunn, Stephen Jeffreys, Adrian Noble and Helen Mirren
* includes discussions of familiar plays such as The Duchess of Malfi and 'Tis Pity She's A Whore, as well as many lesser known play-texts
Renaissance Drama in Action offers undergraduates and A-level students an invaluable guide to the characteristics of Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, and its relationship to contemporary theatre and staging.
Biography
Martin White is Professor of Theatre at the University of Bristol, and has taught and directed for 25 years. He is editor of Arden of Faversham and author of Middleton and Tourneur.
'The book is a remarkably successful attempt to bridge the ever widening gap between the scholarly tome and the student textbook.' - Speech and Drama
'This is an excellent book, and is well worth recommending to students of drama of the Renaissance period.' - New Theatre Quartely'[An] excellent introduction to Renaissance dramatic texts in performance ... a rich and varied collection.' - Early Modern Literary Studies
