Synopses & Reviews
Shakespeare's career as actor and playwright reveals the extraordinary accommodation of his genius to the circumstances of his time. This unique account describes Shakespeare at work against a background of theatrical rivalry, opportunism, service to noble patrons, and political intrigue. Peter Thomson recreates Shakespeare's writing career year by year, showing how the plays mirror their times. The story reveals the precarious nature of theatrical survival, the constant threat posed by the withdrawal of noble or royal patronage, the spread of disease, the anxieties of war and the climate of political uncertainty. This account of Elizabethan and Jacobean social and professional life offers a fascinating insight into the world in which Shakespeare produced his plays. There are numerous illustrations gleaned from museums, libraries and great houses to illustrate the theatrical and social context of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. Formerly published within the Cambridge Canto imprint, this paperback restores the format and illustrations of the original hardback.
Review
'For anyone interested in Shakespeare as a highly practical man of the theatre, this is a fascinating account. Thomson combines scholarship with a refreshingly vivid 'backstage' view of the Elizabethan theatrical scene in all its murky detail. Shakespeare emerges freshly as a canny, pragmatic judge of the theatre business.' Kenneth Branagh
Review
"For anyone interested in Shakespeare as a highly practical man of the theatre, this is a fascinating account. Thomson combines scholarship with a refreshingly vivid 'backstage' view of the Elizabethan theatrical scene in all its murky detail. Shakespeare emerges freshly as a canny, pragmatic judge of the theatre business." Kenneth Branagh
Review
' ... an exceptionally lively and up-to-the-minute introduction to 'Shakespeare's job'.' Frank Kermode, The London Review of Books
Review
'It is rare these days to read a scholarly book that is as beautifully written as Peter Thomson's Shakespeare's Professional Career.' American Theatre
Synopsis
Describes Shakespeare at work in the context of Elizabethan and Jacobean social and professional life.
Synopsis
Shakespeare was a supremely successful accommodator. The story of his career as actor and playwright, which this book tells, shows the accommodation of his remarkable talents to the circumstances of his time: the social, political and professional life of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. Peter Thomson describes the development of this talent into genius. He also depicts a background of theatrical rivalry, opportunism, service to noble patrons, and the sometimes involuntary involvement in political intrigue. The narrative is succinct but entertaining, enabling the non-expert to pick a clear path through contemporary political struggles and intrigues, the structure of Elizabethan patronage, the details of playhouse practice, the formation and disbanding of theatre companies and buildings. Year by year Peter Thomson recreates Shakespeare's writing career, showing how the plays mirror the times. There are numerous half-tones, maps and drawings gleaned from libraries, museums and great houses to illustrate the details of Shakespeare's career and the wider social context of his time.
Synopsis
The story of Shakespeare's career as actor and playwright, which this book tells, shows the accommodation of his remarkable talents to the circumstances of his time: the social, political and professional life of Elizabethan and Jacobean England.
Table of Contents
'\'List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; Preface; 1. Shakespeare and Stratford; 2. Establishing a career: of patrons and provinces; 3. Establishing a career: London, 1590; 4. A playtext and its content; 5. Servant to the Lord Chamberlain: 1594-1603; 6. Of Queen, Chamberlains, Admiral and King; 7. Servant to the King: 1603-1616; Notes; Bibliography; Index.\\n
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