Shakespeare was a man of the theatre to his core, so it is no surprise
that he repeatedly contemplated the nuts and bolts of his craft in his
plays and poems. Shakespeare scholar Nick de Somogyi here draws together
all the cherishable set pieces - including "All the world's a stage "
Hamlet's encounters with the Players, and Bottom's amateur theatricals -
along with many other oblique but no less revealing glances, and further
insights into theatre practice by Shakespeare's contemporaries and
rivals. De Somogyi's commentary takes us through the entire process of
Shakespeare's theatrical production, from its casting and auditions, via
rehearsals, costumes, and props, to its premiere and audience reception.
Shakespeare on Theatre eavesdrops on the urgently whispered noises-off
in the "tiring-house" and inhales the heady aroma of the Globe's first
audiences.