Shakespeare's London 1613 offers for the first time a comprehensive "biography" of this crucial year in English history. This book examines political and cultural life in London, including the Jacobean court and the city, which together witnessed an exceptional outpouring of culturalexperiences and transformative political events. The royal family had to confront the sudden death of Prince Henry, heir apparent to the throne, which provoked unparalleled grief. An unprecedented number of plays performed at court helped move the country away from sadness to the happy occasion ofPrincess Elizabeth's marriage to a German prince. Shakespeare's plays dominated London's cultural landscape, diminished by the Globe Theatre's destruction in June. Other playwrights, writers, and printers produced an extraordinary number of books. Shakespeare for the first time purchased property in London. Clearly, court and city intersectedregularly, adding vitality to both.

Shakespeare’s London 1613 offers for the first time a comprehensive ‘biography’ of this crucial year in English history. The book examines political and cultural life in London, including the Jacobean court and the city, which together witnessed an exceptional outpouring of cultural experiences and transformative political events. The royal family had to confront the sudden death of Prince Henry, heir apparent to the throne, which provoked unparalleled grief. Meanwhile, an unprecedented number of plays performed at court helped move the country away from sadness to the happy occasion of Princess Elizabeth’s marriage to a German prince. Shakespeare’s productions dominated London’s cultural landscape, while other playwrights, writers and printers produced an extraordinary number of books. Readers interested in literature, cultural history, and the royal family will find in this book a rich and accessible account of this monumental year.

The rebuilding of the Globe theatre (1599-1613) on London's Bankside, a few yards from the site of the playhouse in which many of Shakespeare's plays were first performed, must rank as one of the most imaginative enterprises of recent decades. It has aroused intense interest among scholars and the general public worldwide. This book offers a fully illustrated account of the research that has gone into the Globe reconstruction, drawing on the work of leading scholars, theatre people and craftsmen to provide an authoritative view of the twenty years of research and the hundreds of practical decisions entailed. Documents of the period are explored afresh; the techniques of timber-framed building and the decorative practices of Elizabethan craftsmen explained; and all of this reconciled with the requirements of the actors and restrictions of modern architectural design. The result is a book that will fascinate scholarly readers and laymen alike.

In what ways did playwrights like Shakespeare respond to the two urban locations of the Globe and the Blackfriars? What was the effect of their different acoustic and visual experiences on actors and audiences? What did the labels 'public' for the Globe and 'private' for the Blackfriars, actually mean in practice? Sarah Dustagheer offers the first in-depth, comparative analysis of the performance conditions of the two sites. This engaging study examines how the social, urban, sensory and historical characteristics of these playhouses affected dramatists, audiences and actors. Each chapter provides new interpretations of seminal King's Men's works written as the company began to perform in both settings, including The Alchemist, The Tempest and Henry VIII. Presenting a rich and compelling account of the two early modern theatres, the book also suggests fresh insights into recent contemporary productions at Shakespeare's Globe, London and the new Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

Describes Shakespeare's experiences in London and his retirement to the country in a fictional account that includes excerpts from his works.

Elaborately decorated commonplace book containing, among other things: Bible verses, calendar of saints' days, lists of concepts (e.g. Nine muses, Seven deadly sins, Nine worthies, Five alls), thumbnail biographies of the pre-Norman rulers of England, decorative initials, crewelwork motifs for caps, designs for mazes and knot gardens, and the mayors of London 1558-1602 with highlights of their time in office.