The Shakespearean Stage 1574-1662

This is a thoroughly researched piece of work by Gurr, but it's not for the casual or general reader, methinks. It is detailed, readable, and. . . pedantic. Only the specialist would be interested in every bit of this book, but if one has selected interests, he will get probably the best information here. My interests were in the staging of the plays, the architecture of the amphitheaters and halls, and the chronological evolution of the playhouses and methods of staging. I'm not so interested in which players and playwrights performed and wrote for which companies. This part of the book I found fairly tedious. The illustrations are mostly familiar ones (if you've done much reading on the subject), with some truly interesting photos and building footprint sketches of the latest "digs" in London. There is a note in this edition (the third) that the list of plays, playhouses, authors, and dates for the period (in the appendix) have been revised from the format of the previous edition and placed in alphabetical order of the play titles. This must suit the needs of some readers, but it frustrated me because I most wanted a chronological listing. Ah, well. The author makes very clear at the beginning what period he means by "Shakespearean": latter half of Elizabeth's reign (1570s to 1603); whole of the reign of James I (1603-1625) and the rule of Charles I (1625 up until he lost control of things in 1642). He gives cogent reasons for this particular nomenclature.

This is simply a definitive book. Rich in scholarship it is free from much of the dogma, masquerading as fact, that attaches itself to theatrical "scholarship"of this period. Gurr has an astonsihing array of knowledge that encompases all the major authors, players, companies and audiences of this fascinating era. Quite simply he makes it come alive. He also answers so many of the questions that puzzle the reader about this time. Of particular interest is his attempt to investigate the acting "style" in the playhouse and the growing schism between the "personative" school of acting and the "rhetoriticians". Please buy, it will reward your purchase many times over!

It is very easy, and very pleasant, to write in praise of this book, for it is hard to envisage that the task accomplished by Gurr - an absolute expert in the area under discussion - could have been carried out yet better. For several years now, this guide has very justifiably been accepted as the best of its kind, and it is an essential possession for all of us who want, within one handy volume, a comprehensive account of what the theatres of Shakespeare's time were like, and what is likely to have happened within them. The author's detailed, well-informed and specific work is based not only on his own formidable research into the matters at issue, but also on close acquaintance with what others have done. Everything is presented with impeccable, sensible and perceptive judgement. The book can certainly be read through with benefit and enjoyment, but repays frequent visiting whenever one wants to consult a particular chapter or to find out more about a specific issue or fact (there is a very good index to help one in this). All in all, therefore, this book is not only very informative to read, but surpasses a great many books on Shakespeare and his time by being also an excellent reference tool for frequent use. Unhesitatingly recommended. - Joost Daalder, Professor of English, Flinders University, South Australia

This book gives an engaging breakdown of how Shakespearean plays were performed in early modern London. Gurr gives an idea of the range of players' companies, playhouses, and different playing practices, as well as a sense of how the companies and their plays changed throughout the period. I refer to this book all the time and plan to order it for my students to read as a companion to Shakespeare's plays.