Beyond Shakespeare

Beyond Shakespeare

From the earliest drama in English, to the closing of the theatres in 1642, there was a hell of a lot of drama produced - and a lot of it wasn't by Shakespeare. Apart from a few noble exceptions these plays are often passed over, ignored or simply unknown. This podcast presents full audio productions of the plays, fragmentary and extant, that shaped the theatrical world that shaped our dramatic history.

  1. Discussing: A Game at Chess by Thomas Middleton

    2 DAYS AGO

    Discussing: A Game at Chess by Thomas Middleton

    Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts Because we thought you just didn't have enough on A Game at Chess from this podcast, here's a chat about a staged reading of A Game at Chess with Annie Charlton and Elizabeth Elsworth of York S********** Project.You can find out more about their work at https://www.yorkshakespeareproject.org/For anyone interested in forthcoming events, but also in opportunities for acting, directing or backstaging, sign up to their mailing list:  http://eepurl.com/DrIJ  For any general enquiries: info@yorkshakespeareproject.org and can be found on Facebook and InstagramA Game at Chess - additional materials from us...YouTube playlist of readings of the play.Podcast playlist on the play.Patreon box set of this show.The Legacy of Thomas Middleton discussing episode.Webpage covering the play. Our patrons received a rough mix of this episode in January 2025 - a month in advance.The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is supported by its patrons – become a patron and you get to choose the plays we work on next. Go to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at admin@beyondshakespeare.org, follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.orgYou can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQThe Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton. About our sponsors - the Malone Society. The Society was founded in 1906 at the initiative of A.W. Pollard, and for over a century they have published (almost) every year edited volumes of early printed and manuscript texts of both well-known and neglected plays. They also publish collections of documentary material relating to the performance and reception of early drama. Their best-known publications include W.W. Greg’s edition of Sir Thomas More, a collaborative history play, and A.C. Dunstan’s edition of the earliest surviving original play in English to have been written by a woman, Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam.Their membership is international and open to anyone interested in early drama. Members receive their annual volumes and are able to buy books from their backlist at low prices.In addition to their publications, they support scholarship of early drama through fellowships and research grants, an annual prize for graduate students, and performances and symposia.The Society is named after Edmond Malone, born in Dublin in 1741, a great editor, textual scholar and theatre historian, whose work continues to shape studies in early drama.

    47 min
  2. Announcement: Our New Sponsor + Sir Thomas More

    5 DAYS AGO

    Announcement: Our New Sponsor + Sir Thomas More

    Two announcements today, our new sponsor, and a little bit more detail about our Sir Thomas More event - tickets for which are now on general sale! Beyond Shakespeare is proud to announce our sponsor for the coming year is the Malone Society, whose works help keep alive the plays we work on. The Malone Society regularly publishes volumes of early plays which otherwise might not be available, and so aligns with our core belief that no play should be left behind and should have an outlet – from the manuscript or printed page, to performance and beyond. Over the course of their generous sponsorship we will be giving away a volume each month, as well as producing a special event assisted by one of their most celebrated publications, W.W. Greg’s edition of The Book of Sir Thomas More. For more on the sponsorship and giveaway, go to our sponsorship webpage.Go to malonesociety.com for more information about the society. For more information about the Sir Thomas More event go to: https://beyondshakespeare.org/the-book-of-sir-thomas-more-piece-by-piece/ The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is supported by its patrons – become a patron and you get to choose the plays we work on next. Go to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at admin@beyondshakespeare.org, follow us on various social media @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.orgYou can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQThe Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

    11 min
  3. 23 JAN

    1570 and All This - Part 3 (Hamlet to Hamilton Crossover)

    Here's the last of our two mini seasons of crossover episodes with Emily C A Synder and Colin Kovarik of the Hamlet to Hamilton podcast. It's actually the final episode of five, following on from the two part 1560 and All That which came as a mini set. We have been dancing through texts from the medieval up to the reign of Elizabeth on their podcast, and now we're doing the same over on ours - and we have finally completed the 1570's. Which didn't even have that many plays in it!As ever, this is a case of thinking aloud, and seeing what comes up. Hamlet to Hamilton: Exploring Verse Drama is an educational podcast from TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS Audio Network. Teaching how to write and perform new verse drama.  Hosted by Emily C. A. Snyder.  Edited by Colin Kovarik.SEASON ONE: Writing Verse DramaSEASON TWO: Arthur Through the AgesSEASON THREE: SoliloquySEASON FOUR: The Origins of English Verse Drama - which is with us!Hamlet to Hamilton website - http://www.hamlettohamilton.com/Support H2H at their patreon - https://www.patreon.com/hamlettohamilton Our patrons received this episode in May 2024 - 20 months early!The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is supported by its patrons – become a patron and you get to choose the plays we work on next. Go to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at admin@beyondshakespeare.org, follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.orgYou can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQThe Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

    2h 37m
  4. 9 JAN

    1570 and All This - Part 2 (Hamlet to Hamilton Crossover)

    Here's the second of two mini seasons of crossover episodes with Emily C A Synder and Colin Kovarik of the Hamlet to Hamilton podcast. It's actually the third episode of five, following on from the two part 1560 and All That which came as a mini set. We have been dancing through texts from the medieval up to the reign of Elizabeth on their podcast, and now we're doing the same over on ours - we might have finally made it into actual plays from the 1570's. Possibly. There aren't that many to play with.As ever, this is a case of thinking aloud, and seeing what comes up. Hamlet to Hamilton: Exploring Verse Drama is an educational podcast from TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS Audio Network. Teaching how to write and perform new verse drama.  Hosted by Emily C. A. Snyder.  Edited by Colin Kovarik.SEASON ONE: Writing Verse DramaSEASON TWO: Arthur Through the AgesSEASON THREE: SoliloquySEASON FOUR: The Origins of English Verse Drama - which is with us!Hamlet to Hamilton website - http://www.hamlettohamilton.com/Support H2H at their patreon - https://www.patreon.com/hamlettohamilton Our patrons received this episode in May 2024 - 20 months early!The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is supported by its patrons – become a patron and you get to choose the plays we work on next. Go to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at admin@beyondshakespeare.org, follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.orgYou can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQThe Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

    2h 33m
  5. 31/12/2025

    End of Year Round Up 2025

    It's the end of another year - so much has happened! Entertaining Henry, our Wyrd Revels, so many things... and I cram them into this short episode! Future things links - Live shows, not much I can announce year but next year, we’ll be performing live at  the Thomas Nashe and Voice conference (Friday 9th January) - doing Pierce Penniless It is part of a two-day conference on the writings of Thomas Nashe (1567-c.1601)– and they commissioned a staged reading of Pierce Penniless from us – recordings will of course follow. Please register for the conference at  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIz0iL-BbOEXKlIFw30m7Wlou4x7ZeQYqkoTYRFS0ezyuMQQ/viewform And the big live show is Sunday 12th April - All Day Event, London, looking at Sir Thomas More in detail. SAVE THE DATE - priority tickets list, sign up here!  Our patrons received this episode... well, the other day actually, but it is the end of the year round up, so whatcha gonna do? But everything else we do goes to them weeks, months - occasionally years - in advance! The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is supported by its patrons – become a patron and you get to choose the plays we work on next. Go to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at admin@beyondshakespeare.org, follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

    10 min
  6. 19/12/2025

    1570 and All This - Part 1 (Hamlet to Hamilton Crossover)

    Here's the second of two mini seasons of crossover episodes with Emily C A Synder and Colin Kovarik of the Hamlet to Hamilton podcast. It's actually second of five, as it follows on from the two part 1560 and All That which came as a mini set. We have been dancing through texts from the medieval up to the reign of Elizabeth on their podcast, and now we're doing the same over on ours - from the end of 1560's into the wilds of the 1570's. It's a case of thinking aloud, and seeing what comes up.Hamlet to Hamilton: Exploring Verse Drama is an educational podcast from TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS Audio Network. Teaching how to write and perform new verse drama.  Hosted by Emily C. A. Snyder.  Edited by Colin Kovarik.SEASON ONE: Writing Verse DramaSEASON TWO: Arthur Through the AgesSEASON THREE: SoliloquySEASON FOUR: The Origins of English Verse Drama - which is with us!Hamlet to Hamilton website - http://www.hamlettohamilton.com/Support H2H at their patreon - https://www.patreon.com/hamlettohamiltonOur patrons received this episode in May 2024 - 19 months early!The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is supported by its patrons – become a patron and you get to choose the plays we work on next. Go to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at admin@beyondshakespeare.org, follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.orgYou can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQThe Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

    2h 19m

About

From the earliest drama in English, to the closing of the theatres in 1642, there was a hell of a lot of drama produced - and a lot of it wasn't by Shakespeare. Apart from a few noble exceptions these plays are often passed over, ignored or simply unknown. This podcast presents full audio productions of the plays, fragmentary and extant, that shaped the theatrical world that shaped our dramatic history.