The History Of European Theatre

Epizode

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  Shakespeare on Sex: A Conversation with Marc Berley 17.08.2026 49min

  Episode 229:It has been long recognised that Shakespeare included a lot of sex references in his plays, many of which are now quite obscure to the modern viewer.  Recently a book called ‘Shakespeare on Sex’ caught my eye and I had an entertaining time reading it and thinking on the different perspective it offers on Shakespeare when seen through the lens of how Shakespeare thought about sex for his plays.I was very pleased when author Marc Berley agreed to come on the podcast to discuss the book, although it did throw up a question immediately about how we could speak frankly about this subject on the podcast.  As you will hear we were still struggling a bit with that question as we spoke.  I hope we got the balance right, but be warned we talk about the language and mechanics of sex as they appear in the plays and hence I have marked this episode up as ‘explicit’.Marc Berley was professor of English at Rutgers and Barnard/Columbia. His fiction, poetry, and nonfiction have appeared in the Iowa Review, the Threepenny Review, Lit Hub, and newspapers nationwide. He has appeared on BBC and PBS and been covered by Reuters, USA Today, the Washington Post, and ABC’s The View. He holds a BA, MA, and PhD in English and comparative literature from Columbia. The author of ‘After the Heavenly Tune’ and editor of ‘Reading the Renaissance’, he is founding editor of the award-winning literary magazine LitMag. He lives in New York.Find out more about Marc and his work at: https://marcberley.com/Amazon UK link to 'Shakespeare on Sex: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shakespeare-Sex-Wills-Shaped-Liberated/dp/1510786465Amazon US link to 'Shakespeare on Sex': https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Sex-Wills-Shaped-Liberated/dp/1510786465Publishers website link: https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/9781510786462/shakespeare-on-sex/Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Epicene: ‘Silence in a Woman is Like Speech in a Man’ 10.08.2026 36min

  Episode 228:About the same time that Shakespeare was retelling the story of Pericles Ben Jonson was writing ‘Epicene, or the Silent Woman’, a play set very firmly in his home turf of London.  It had been three years since Jonson had written for the public stage, which is not to say that his last play ‘Volpone’ was not a success, but he was occupied with producing masques for the King and the court, working with Inigo Jones, which a much more profitable endeavour for him personally than another satire for the public to judge.  In those three years he produced seven court entertainments, so he was far from idle. Whatever the case ‘Epicene’ is another Jonson play that had a tricky start in life, although on the scale of some of his previous issues with the law and failures on the stage he probably did not feel too bad about this one.Dating and the first performances of the playThe Whitefriars TheatreThe sources for the playThe publication history of the playA synopsis of the plotThe first reception of ‘Epicene’Lady Arabella Stuart’s complaintThe location of the Whitefriars TheatreThe two prologues to the playJonson’s attitude to gender rolesThe Strand and the new West EndThe noise of the cityThe character of MoroseThe supporting charactersWomen, clothes, and the artifice of their appearanceCaptain and mistress OtterThe final reveal in the playReligious references in the playWhen Jonson brings himself into the textThe performance history of the play and its influencesSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Lighting the Indoor Theatre: A Conversation with Nic Brownlee 03.08.2026 52min

  Episode 227One of the questions that immediately arises when we consider the indoor theatres is how they were lit, although there are also many other questions about how performing indoors was informed by the experience of the touring companies and how it changed the nature of playing itself.Very early in my journey through Shakespeare for the podcast I met Nic Brownlee who was then in the throes of completing his study into indoor theatre lighting, so the idea for this episode has been on my mind for a long time and I’m pleased that now Nic has finished his study I can bring you this discussion at an appropriate moment in the podcast timeline. Nic Brownlie recently graduated with a PhD from the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham, completing a thesis focused on the effects of candlelight at Shakespeare’s Blackfriars playhouse. Nic currently runs the A Place to Write retreat centre in North Wales with his wife, Wendy, where they offer annual Shakespeare retreats exploring different genres of Shakespeare’s plays. In a varied prior career, he completed an English degree at the University of Hull, trained at Mountview Theatre School in London, and worked as an actor, theatre director and stage lighting designer for many years, including managing his own educational Shakespeare company. He has taught acting, stage lighting, and English Literature in a variety of educational settings, from secondary schools to higher education establishments, and he is currently working on a series of academic articles and a book detailing his research into Shakespeare’s late plays.I first met Nic when I attended a three day retreat at ‘A Place to Write’  where we read and watched and discussed three Shakespeare comedies, among other things, so I can personally recommend the work he and Wendy are doing there.  I talked to Nic over a zoom call from A Place To Write where he was somewhere between guests Breakfasts and planning his next play sessions and opened out conversation asking about how ‘A Place To Write’ came to be.Find details for 'A Place To Write' Shakespeare and writing retreats at: www.aplacetowrite.co.ukSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Pericles: ‘Tis time to fear when tyrants seem to kiss’ 27.07.2026 34min

  Episode 226: Last time I took you through Macbeth, still one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays, but now we come to one that is rarely seen and vies with ‘King John’, ‘Two Noble Kinsman’ and ‘Timon of Athens’ as the least performed Shakespeare play.  ‘Pericles’ is also a play that did not appear in the first folio and in fact did not make it into a folio edition until 1664 with the second printing of the third folio.  More of that history in a moment, but it certainly raises interesting questions about why Hemmings and Condell did not include it in the first folio.  The dating and early performance history of the playThe printing history of the playThe source material for the play‘Pericles’ as a collaborationA short word about George WilkinsA brief synopsis of the playThe riddle that reveals incestThe importance of a good name and familyBrides and fathers contrasted in the playThe Mediterranean locations of the playHow time is placed and passes in the playThe role of Gower in the playThe role of the gods in the playThe recognition sceneThe narrative inconsistencies in the play‘Pericles’ as a bitter-sweet comedyCritical reception of the playThe later performance history of the playSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Shakespeare and Biblical Allusion: A Conversation with Paul Fried - Part 2 20.07.2026 56min

  Episode 225:Last time my guest Paul Fried and I discussed Biblical Allusion in Shakespeare with particular reference to Hamlet.  This is the second part of our conversation, so please do make sure you have listened to part one before continuing here, things will make a lot more sense if you do. I first came across Paul’s Blog, Hamlet’s Bible, when I was researching my episodes on King Lear and I was very pleased to find that not only was it useful for those episodes but was a series of very interesting posts relating to Biblical allusion in Shakespeare, so, of course, I asked Paul, if he would like to come onto the podcast to share some of his insights into this subject.  Paul is a retired college lecturer who has devoted years of study to Shakespeare and the bible and his blog, now in it’s tenth year, has become his way of sharing his research prior to what he hopes will be a published volume on Biblical allusion in Hamlet.  He has also contributed several papers to Shakespeare conferences, most recently at the Shakespeare Association of America conference held in Denver in April 2026.I spoke to Paul from his home in Minnesota over a zoom call.Link to Paul’s blog ‘Hamlet’s Bible’: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/Link to ‘Hamlet’s Bible’ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamletsbible/Link to Paul’s account on ‘X’: https://x.com/padrianfriedSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Shakespeare and Biblical Allusion: A Conversation with Paul Fried - Part 1 13.07.2026 53min

  Episode 224: While I was looking into some details while I was preparing for the episodes on King Lear  I came across an article that was part of a blog called ‘Hamlet’s Bible’, which is written by Paul Fried and was very pleased to find a series of very interesting posts relating to Biblical allusion in Shakespeare, so, of course, I asked the author of the blog, Paul Fried, if he would like to come onto the podcast to share some of his insights into this subject.  Paul is a retired college lecturer who has devoted years of study to Shakespeare and the bible and his blog, now in it’s tenth year, has become his way of sharing his research prior to what he hopes will be a published volume on Biblical allusion in Hamlet.  He has also contributed several papers to Shakespeare conferences, most recently at the Shakespeare Association of America conference held in Denver in April 2026.I spoke to Paul from his home in Minnesota over a zoom call.Link to Paul’s blog ‘Hamlet’s Bible’: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/Link to ‘Hamlet’s Bible’ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamletsbible/Link to Paul’s account on ‘X’: https://x.com/padrianfriedSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Macbeth Part 2: 'What’s Done Cannot Be Undone’ 06.07.2026 35min

  Episode 223: Last time, in the first part of my look at ‘Macbeth’, I took you through the plot of the play and discussed the themes of ambition and guilt in it, with a focus on the character of Macbeth himself.  I also looked at some of the language in the play and at the possibility that Thomas Middleton updated it for a revival in the 1610s or 1620s, and how he probably developed the scenes with the three witches at a time when devil plays and ideas about witches in the real world were very popular.  This is the text that we most likely have in the First Folio, which is the first printed version of the play. Please do listen to that episode first before embarking on this one.  Having spent some time on the character of Macbeth in the last episode I’m now going to pick up with a look at his wife. The character and actions of Lady MacbethReferences to equivocation in the playThe trial of Henry Garnet and the use of equivocationThe witches and the Macbeths as equivocatorsThe impact of the Porter’s speechThe Porter’s scene as a throwback to medieval cycle plays‘On The Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth’ by Thomas De QuinceyThe critical history of the playThe later performance history of the playThe curse of ‘the Scottish play’‘Macbeth’ as a very Jacobean play Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Macbeth Part 1: ‘Look Like the Innocent Flower, But Be the Serpent Under’t’ 29.06.2026 35min

  Episode 222:We can’t say for sure that ‘Macbeth’ was Shakespeare's next offering after 'Anthony and Cleopatra' as precise dating of these early 17th century plays is next to impossible, but whatever the case, it certainly has a very different feel and focus from it’s near contemporises.  Although recounting historical events it is dominated by the presence and effect of the supernatural.  This proved a mix that audiences have flocked to ever since and it remains one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays, for tragedy ranking only behind ‘Hamlet’.The dating of the playThe text in the First Folio and adaptations by Thomas MiddletonThe sources for the playA brief Synopsis of the playMacbeth and Julius CaesarMacbeth’s ambitionThe importance of the soliloquy in the playMacbeth’s feelings of guiltThe reports of the play by Simon ForemanBanquo’s ghost as a manifestation of Macbeth’s guiltBlood as a symbol of guiltThe torment of sleeplessnessThe tensions between destiny and free willThe three witchesLink to ‘That Shakespeare Life’ episode featuring Prof. Laurie Johnson on the ‘weird sisters’:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/that-shakespeare-life/id1372846116?i=1000751203466Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Anthony and Cleopatra: ‘Age Cannot Wither Her, Nor Custom Stale Her Infinite Variety’ 22.06.2026 35min

  Episode 221:Last time I took you into the world of the court masque with the help of Kristen Macdermott who, I think you will agree, painted a very detailed picture of that very particular theatrical form and the way the Stuart court embraced it.  As we heard, masques were often written by playwrights and performed by actors who also wrote for and performed in the public playhouse, so it’s no surprise that a few plays feature masques.  We have already encountered short masques in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘Timon of Athens’, with the best known example from ‘The Tempest’ still to come and Shakespeare’s next offering ‘Anthony and Cleopatra’ would, you might think, have been another opportunity to include a masque featuring exotic characters to add to the glamorous setting.  In fact, Shakespeare chose not to include a masque specifically, but we can see that he uses the attributes of the masque throughout the play.Masque elements used in ‘Antony and Cleopatra’The dating of the playThe early print history of the playThe sources for the playThe different style of the play from it’s near neighboursA brief synopsis of the playHow the main characters and the political story and love story are balanced in the playThe hyperbolic language used in the playThe character of AntonyEquals and opposites in the play and how Antony deals with themThe character of OctaviusThe character of CleopatraThe death of CleopatraAntony and Cleopatra as a Stuart period playA short word on the history of criticism of the playThe later performance history of the play Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Masques of Difference: A Conversation with Kristen McDermott part 2 15.06.2026 46min

  Episode 220: This is the second part of my conversation with Kristen McDermott about the court masque.  In this part we discuss two masques and the later history of the art form.Kristen McDermott is professor of English at Central Michigan University and co-author with Ari Berk of ‘William Shakespeare his life and times’ and the collection ‘Masques of Difference’, as well as numerous papers on Shakespeare and renaissance theatre.  I have put a link in the show notes to Kristen’s website where you can find further details of her work.  Kris is also a listener and supporter of the podcast, so I was particularly happy to welcome her as a contributor on the microphone as well.  I spoke to Kris over a zoom call from her home in Michigan.   Find more about Kris at: https://kristen-mcdermott.comLinks to ‘Masques of Difference’https://www.amazon.co.uk/Masques-Difference-Revels-Student-Editions/dp/071905754X/ref=sr_1_1?https://www.amazon.com/Masques-Difference-masques-Student-Editions/dp/071905754X/ref=sr_1_1?https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9780719057540/ Links to Greer Gilman books: https://smallbeerpress.com/books/2014/09/23/exit-pursued-by-a-bear/Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Origins and Development of Masques: A Conversation with Kristen McDermott part 1 08.06.2026 28min

  Episode 219:In this episode I take a look at the court masques of the Jacobean period.  To do this I’m very lucky to have the guidance of Kristen McDermott who edited and wrote an extensive introduction to a collection of Jonson’s Masques called Masques of Difference.  It is a volume that has been in print for an impressive twenty years and one that I found immensely useful in aiding my understanding of the court masque, an art form that can seem very obscure to us now.  In the first part of the conversation Kristen describes the development of the masque from it’s very early days through to its flowering in the court of James 1st largely under the care of Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones.  Next time Kris and I continue the conversation and discuss some of those ‘masques of difference’ and the later years of the court masque.Kristen McDermott is professor of English at Central Michigan University and co-author with Ari Berk of ‘William Shakespeare His Life and Times’ and the collection ‘Masques of Difference’, as well as numerous papers on Shakespeare and renaissance theatre. Find more about Kris at: https://kristen-mcdermott.comLinks to ‘Masques of Difference’https://www.amazon.co.uk/Masques-Difference-Revels-Student-Editions/dp/071905754X/ref=sr_1_1?https://www.amazon.com/Masques-Difference-masques-Student-Editions/dp/071905754X/ref=sr_1_1?https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9780719057540/Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  King Lear Part 2: ‘Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise’ 01.06.2026 34min

  Episode 218:Last time I looked at the first part of ‘King Lear’ from the opening scene where Lear makes his disastrous decision to split his kingdom between his children, through to the renowned scene where the ex-king and his fool are caught in a raging storm on the moor and saved only by the loyalty of Kent.  On the way I looked at the deliciously evil Edmund, the poor judgement of his father Gloucester, and the scheming of Lear’s oldest daughter Goneril.  Now I will complete this look at the play and discuss it’s place as a very Jacobean play addressing the concerns of its time when King James was working hard at an attempt to unite his disparate kingdom. The role, character and purpose of the FoolThe mock trial sceneThe blinding of GloucesterThe character and cruelty of ReganEdgar and Gloucester on the cliffs at DoverHope before tragedy as Lear and Cordelia are reunitedA family dispute as the heart of the playWhy Lear resonates so strongly with audiencesThe sense of ‘no place’ in the playKing Lear as a message for King James The significance of the non-Christian setting of the playThe play as a tragedy and a history playA brief view of the later critical and performance history of the playA small selection of ‘King Lear’ on filmSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  King Lear Part 1: ‘How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth it is to Have a Thankless Child!’ 25.05.2026 33min

  Episode 217:‘King Lear’, the play that is now often regarded as Shakespeare’s finest and deepest work is most often compared to the other two great tragedies of this period in Shakespeare’s writing, ‘Hamlet’ and ‘Othello’, and of course there are thematic comparisons that can be made with those plays, but it has to be pointed out that ‘King Lear’ is also a very different play in tone and structure.  Whether we rate ‘King Lear’ as Shakespeare’s best play or not it is a play that has deeply affected audiences and critics through the centuries and I can only imagine the mark it leaves on actors who take on the main roles.  Sadly, what we lack is much detail about initial reactions to the play.The early performance and publishing history of the playThe influences and sources for the playThe opening scene of the play and the abandonment of the natural orderThe questions of judgement and miscommunication in the playThe character of GonerilEdmund as one of Shakespeare’s truly evil charactersKent as the voice of reason and loyaltyLear and the Fool in the stormLear’s moral awakeningSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Reading Shakespeare’s Mind: A Conversation with Steve Sohmer 18.05.2026 40min

  Episode 216: For today’s guest episode I had the pleasure of talking to Steve Sohmer, author of a book titled ‘Reading Shakespeare’s Mind’.  In his book Steve examines how Shakespeare’s relationship with several contemporary authors is exposed in his plays.  This involves a very close reading of the text and an endlessly enquiring mind and it’s fascinating to read through Steve’s thought processes to understand the conclusions he has come to. As I was preparing for the recording, which you will notice was made before I got onto the recent episodes on the so called problem plays, I saw that Steve had an extensive biography before he got onto Shakespeare study, so rather than read through it here I thought I would open our conversation by getting Steve to tell me about his working experience.Publishers Website:https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/search-results/?Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reading-Shakespeares-Mind-Steve-Sohmer/dp/1526138077/ref=sr_1_1?Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Shakespeares-mind-Steve-Sohmer/dp/1526138077/ref=sr_1_1?Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Timon of Athens: ‘Nothing Emboldens Sin So Much as Mercy’ 11.05.2026 34min

  Episode 215:Last time Ben Jonson regained his stride in the public theatre with his comedy ‘Volpone’, an at moments sparkling satire of greed and avarice.   Just about the only parallel I can draw between this and Shakespeare’s next offering, ‘Timon of Athens’, is that the study of greed appears in both, but they are very different plays in tone, character and intent.  Shakespeare not only continued in his recent sombre mood but deepened it significantly with this play.  When reading around the play in preparation for this episode on more than one occasion I saw the play cited as Shakespeare’s least popular play, it is certainly one that is rarely performed and there are many questions about the ‘whys and hows’ of its creation, so buckle up, this might well be more than a little challenging.The early performance and print history of the playThe source material for the playThe possible co-authorship of the playA brief synopsis of the plotThe structure of the playThe character of TimonIssues with explaining Timon’s behaviourTimon’s railing against Athens and mankindTimon’s discovery of buried goldTimon’s deathThe character of AlcibiadesThe play as a satire of wealth rather than a tragedyThe later performance historySome of the critical assessments of the playSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Much Ado About Numbers: A Conversation With Rob Eastaway 04.05.2026 32min

  Episode 214:For today’s guest episode I was pleased to get the chance to talk to Rob Eastaway, author of a book all about Shakespeare and his relationship to numbers and mathematics. Rob’s book ‘Much Ado About Numbers’ is a very entertaining read, whatever your level of understanding maths might be and quite an eye opener when considering how much maths permeates into Shakespeare’s plays. This is not just about hard numbers and number crunching, but touches to the Elizabethan attitude towards descriptive scales, astrology, astronomy, music and optics. Rob does a great job in the book of condensing these very broad and often technical subjects into a book that is a mixture of popular science, mathematics, history and, of course, literature, so it was great to chat to Rob about just some of those concepts.Rob Eastaway is author of several bestselling books connecting maths with everyday life, including "Why do Buses Come in Threes?" and "How Many Socks Make a Pair?". His first book "What is a googly?", an introduction to cricket, was famously presented by British Prime Minister John Major to President Bush (snr) at Camp David in 1992, and was published in the USA under the title "Cricket Explained". With Mike Askew, he wrote "Maths for Mums & Dads", a book that helps parents to understand the new methods being used to teach maths, and offers ideas for how to make maths more engaging and fun at home. An American edition was published in 2010 entitled "Old Dogs, New Math". Rob appears regularly on radio in the UK and is a regular speaker. An activity that has taken him to the Usa and Australia. He was President of the Mathematical Association from 2007-8.Links to 'Much Ado About Numbers:Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Much-Ado-About-Numbers-Eastaway/dp/1805460293/ref=sr_1_1?Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Much-Ado-About-Numbers-Shakespeares/dp/B0CWD3SNXP/ref=sr_1_1?Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetp You can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Volpone: ‘What a Rare Punishment is Avarice to Itself’ 27.04.2026 34min

  Episode 213:In the spring of 1606, a new Ben Jonson play premiered, not on this occasion at the Blackfriars theatre performed by one of the child companies, but at the Globe and performed by the King’s Men.  The reasons for why Jonson sold his play to the King’s Men are not completely clear.  Having a play performed by the Kings Men was, of course, prestigious in itself, and some of his early plays had been performed by the Lord Chamberlin’s Men, but up to this point for his most recent plays Johnson had seemed to prefer using the child companies.  It may be that the Children of the Queens Revels were wary of another Jonson play after the problems that ‘Eastward Ho’ had caused for the playwrights, or perhaps Johnson himself felt it would be wise to distance himself from that association and switching to the adult company was a way of doing that. Perhaps Jonson had seen the writing on the wall for the Children of the Queens Revels after they had got into trouble for a production of a play by John Day called ‘The Isle of Gulls’.  The dating and first performance of the playThe slow demise of the Children of the Queen’s RevelsEarly performances of the playA brief synopsis of the playThe prologue and the argumentThe city comedy elements in the playWhat the setting of the play meant to the English audienceThe methods by which Jonson created the Venetian settingThe purpose of the subplot featuring three English touristsThe beast fable elements in the playDeception and the influence of the gunpowder plot on the playThe satire of greed as the driving theme of the playClass conflict in the play and it’s moralistic endingThe later performance history of the playSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Collecting Thomas Kyd: A Conversation with Darren Freebury-Jones 20.04.2026 43min

  Episode 212:For today’s guest episode it is a warm welcome back to the podcast for Darren Freebury Jones.  On this occasion Darren is here to discuss Thomas Kyd and the works that have been attributed to him in a new two-volume edition of his collected works, for which Darren is the associate editor.  It is always a pleasure to talk to Darren and as a friend of the podcast he needs only the briefest of introductions:Dr Darren Freebury-Jones is author of several works on early modern theatre including: ‘Reading Robert Greene: Recovering Shakespeare’s Rival’, ‘Shakespeare’s Tutor: The Influence of Thomas Kyd’ and his latest work ‘Shakespeare’s Borrowed Feathers’, has now just been published in a paperback edition.In addition to these works and his role as Associate Editor for the first critical edition of The Collected Works of Thomas Kyd since 1901 he has also investigated the boundaries of John Marston’s dramatic corpus as part of the Oxford Marston project and is General Editor for ‘The Collected Plays of Robert Greene’ published by Edinburgh University Press.  His findings on the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries have been discussed in national newspapers in the UK and on BBC Radio.  His debut poetry collection, ‘Rambling’ was published by Broken Sleep Books in 2024.  In 2023 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in recognition of his contributions to historical scholarship. Links to 'The Collected Thomas Kyd' and 'Shakespeare's Borrowed Feathers'https://boydellandbrewer.com/book/the-collected-works-of-thomas-kyd-2-volume-set-9781843846994/?https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shakespeares-Borrowed-Feathers-Playwrights-Greatest/dp/152617734X/ref=sr_1_1?https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeares-borrowed-feathers-playwrights-greatest/dp/152617734X/ref=sr_1_1?https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526177346/Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  All’s Well That Ends Well: ‘The Web of Our Life is of a Mingled Yarn’ 13.04.2026 33min

  Episode 211:Through the last few episodes on Shakespeare’s plays, we seem to have seen a playwright in a serious mood, even when he was writing comedies. ‘Twelfth Night’ and ‘Measure For Measure’ are often referred to as having an autumnal tone, something serious underlying the comedy and of course we also have the even darker worlds of the tragedies of ‘Hamlet’ and ‘Othello’.  The next play we come to from Shakespeare fits well into this group, but I choose my words carefully there because I can’t say for sure that ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ was his ‘next’ play after ‘Measure For Measure’ as the dating of this comedy is difficult.The dating of the playThe sources for the playA brief summary of the plotHow Shakespeare subverts the original folk tale into a comedyIrony in the playThe two sides of the character of HelenWhat does Helen see in Bertram?The role reversal between Helen and BertramThe character of BertramThe bed trickThe character of ParolasSome examples of criticism of the playThe performance history of the playSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  What’s in a Name? A Conversation with Susan Amussen 06.04.2026 40min

  Episode 210:In her new book ‘What’s in a name? How historians know Shakespeare was Shakespeare’ Susan Ammunsen sets out to show how that in early modern England it was entirely possible that a glover’s son could transform into a successful actor and playwright.  She does so by detailing a society that was in a moment of flux and opportunity in many aspects of life.  It is a compelling read, so I was very pleased to invite Susan onto the podcast to discuss her work.Susan D. Amussen is Distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, Merced, whose work focuses on the intersections of gender and other structures of power in early modern England and its empire. She is author of numerous books and articles, including ‘Caribbean Exchanges: Slavery and the Transformation of English Society’; ‘Turning the World Upside Down’ and, with David Underdown, ‘Gender, Culture and Politics in Early Modern England’ ‘What’s in a name’ was published on March 24th, 2026, by Manchester University Press.I spoke to Susan over a Zoom call from her home in CaliforniaManchester University Press: https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526191908/Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whats-Name-Historians-Know-Shakespeare/dp/1526191903/ref=sr_1_2?Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-name-historians-know-Shakespeare/dp/1526191903/ref=sr_1_3?Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.