Shakespeare in the Theatre: Mark Rylance at the Globe

Shakespeare in the Theatre

by Stephen Purcell

Shakespeare in the Mark Rylance at the GlobeEach volume in the Shakespeare in the Theatre series focuses on a director or theatre company who has made a significant contribution to Shakespeare production, identifying the artistic and political/social contexts of their work. The series introduces readers to the work of significant theatre directors and companies whose Shakespeare productions have been transformative in our understanding of his plays in performance. Each volume examines a single figure or company, considering their key productions, rehearsal approaches and their work with other artists.Since its opening in the late 1990s, the reconstructed Shakespeare's Globe Theatre has made an indelible impression on the contemporary British theatre scene. This book explores the theatre's first decade of productions under the pioneering leadership of Sir Mark Rylance. Drawing upon an extensive range of material from the theatre's archive, interviews with Globe practitioners, and Rylance's own personal archive, this book argues that the Rylance era was a ground-breaking and important period of recent theatre history. It concludes with an in-depth interview with Rylance himself. The book gives a unique insight into Rylance's practice and impact, and will be of interest to anyone studying Shakespeare in performance.Stephen Purcell is Associate Professor of English at the University of Warwick. His research focuses on the performance of the work of Shakespeare and his contemporaries on the modern stage and screen, and his publications include the books Popular Shakespeare and Shakespeare and Audience in Practice. He also directs for the open-air theatre company The Pantaloons.Series Bridget Escolme, Queen Mary University of London, UK, Peter Holland, University of Notre Dame, USA and Farah Karim-Cooper, Shakespeare's Globe, London ,UK.

Genres: Shakespeare

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 10, 2017

Reviews

[Tim McIntosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful book for Shakespeare wonks (which I aspire to be) about the political shifts behind Mark Rylance's time as head of The Globe theatre in London. Rylance is a superb actor of delicate power. And he was also a tremendously forward-thinking artistic director. He took over The Globe in his 30s, a stunning achievement in its own right. The book chronicles how Rylance shifted some of the traditional habits of the Globe — most notably from director-centered productions toward more collaborative productions. Fascinating read about a fascinating era in British theatre.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING book.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vital.