Beyond Shakespeare

A read through and discussion of Wily Beguiled by the Unknown (there are theories, but they don't help) printed in 1606 and could have been produced from around 1601 onwards. It's really difficult to tell who produced the play originally, the text pushes us in contradictory directions. This is a session that normally would live on the YouTube channel, but there were a massive number of cock-ups which meant I had to do a LOT of editing which my video skills failed at. So... audio! Part two will follow soon... With Eric Karoulla as Player, Plodall, Peg; Tom Helsby as Lelia, Robin; Angela McShane as Juggler, Will, Sophos, occasional Churms; Desna Mackenzie as Prologue, Old Man, Nurse, occasional Churms; Liza Graham as initial host, Gripe, Peter, Fortunatus, Midnight. The eventual host was Robert Crighton. 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

A series of podcasts looking at plays we'd like to see, where we and guests pitch a Fantasy Production. With much merriment and chat, we explore different media, different approaches and a different play each session. Each play has been covered on our YouTube channel, or on the podcast, so you can dig deeper into the text if you'd like. Regular segments include - Cocktail Minute (a play themed cocktail), and from the Chatroom (reactions to the play in chat from our readings). Contributors include: Liza Graham, Alexandra Katagida and Robert Crighton, plus special guest Tamara Ritthaler. Episode Four: Richard III - a dive into the usurpation of a kingdom. Catch up with our First and Second Look Explorings of the play via this handy playlist! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLflmEwgdfKoLqof8eUWJU5EEJXr93e56y Contribute to our work specifically via Richard III paypal. There will one day be some merchandise - coming soon! Join our Patreon to listen to uncut versions of the podcast - full uncut

Chess Pieces: Exploring A Game at Chess by Thomas Middleton A planning session for our future productions of A Game at Chess by Middleton. We focus on the second half of the play with the scenes between the White Queen's Pawn and the Black Queen's Pawn. Here the play goes in a slightly odd direction, which opens questions of how far does adaptation go. With Gregory Musson as Black Bishop's Pawn; Liza Graham as White Queen's Pawn; Lynsey Beauchamp as Black Queen's Pawn; Tom Helsby as Black Knight's Pawn, White Bishop's Pawn. The host was Robert Crighton, who also read the White Queen. Our initial First Look Exploring Session can be found on our YouTube channel - feel free to browse, like, subscribe - and all that malarky. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLflmEwgdfKoJWOdHzBzkdJXtRR7UkydSW 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

The Brome Abraham and Isaac Play (Full Cast Audio Adaptation) Abraham receives an order from God to sacrifice his favourite son Isaac. Will he go through with it?  Content Warning: Attempted infanticide. It's HEAVY stuff.  If you'd like to get a more detailed look at the text of the play and possible meanings, then go to our !Spoilers! episode - https://audioboom.com/posts/8087109-spoilers-brome-abraham-and-isaac - or one of our other many looks at similar texts (links below...) In the Brome play of Abraham and Isaac are Geir Madland as Abraham, Leigh McDonald as Isaac, Rob Myson as God and Pamela Flanagan as the Angel and the Doctor. The play was recorded and produced Robert Crighton. With additional sfx from zapsplat.com Want more versions of the Abraham and Isaac story? Really? You sure? It's dark out there man! Oh well, you have been warned... Podcast Links - Exploring Session on the Brome Play - https://audioboom.com/posts/7148855-exploring-the-brome-abraham-and-isaac Exploring Sessions on the Chester

A read through and discussion of The Play of Wit and Science, as seen on our YouTube exploring sessions in another of our occasional cross over episodes. Performed around 1544ish. Opinions vary. Late in the reign of Henry the Eighth will do. The play is missing the first few pages, but what can you do. This is the first of three plays that riff on the same material. They have annoyingly similar but different titles.  With Claire Richardson as Reason, Experience; Stephen Longstaffe as Wit; Gregory Musson as Instruction, Idleness, Science; Alex Scott Fairley as Confidence, Tediousness, Ignorancy, Riches; Nuno Meireles as Diligence, Fame; Liza Graham as Study, Honest Recreation, Favour.   The host was Robert Crighton who also read Worship.   You can go to the video version of this episode here. If you want. It's pretty much exactly the same, just you can see our lips move - https://youtu.be/a55FYFxkrEQ  There is also a series of workshop videos where we break the text down further, plus looks at the other vari

It's the first of two episodes on the Brome Abraham and Isaac play, witnessed from somewhere in the late 15th century. This is a !Spoilers! session, working through the rough cut of the play - with the plain text recording at the end. Full cast audio edit to follow shortly! Content Warning: If you don't know the story, it's about attempted infanticide. It's HEAVY stuff.  BE WARNED - If you just want to listen to the play as a play, don't listen to the spoilers episodes. Come back later, or don't listen. However, if you find early drama hard to follow, then you will get a good grounding in the action here - especially as we may make changes or cuts for our final version! The plain text version is rough in hew, it will change and we produce it in part to hunt out errors. In the plain text recording of the Brome play of Abraham and Isaac are Geir Madland as Abraham, Leigh McDonald as Isaac, Rob Myson as God and Pamela Flanagan as the Angel and the Doctor. If you want to skip to the plain text, it starts after 4

A read through and discussion of Godly Queen Hester, as seen on our YouTube exploring sessions in another of our occasional cross over episodes. Performed in the 1520's - possibly 1529. With Eric Karoulla as Third Gentleman, Hardydardy; Alan Scott as Mardocheus; Elizabeth Amisu as Pursuivant/s, Adulation, Arbona; Daniel Yabut as Aman; Lynn Freitas as First Gentleman, Ambition, First Jew; Helen Good as Prologue, Pride, Third Jew; Aliki Chapple as King; Briony Sparrow as Hester; Rachel Moles as Second Gentleman, Second Jew, Scribe. The host was Robert Crighton.  You can go to the video version of this episode here. If you want. It's pretty much exactly the same, just you can see our lips move - https://youtu.be/cic7SNFxNKw 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 feedba

A Full Cast Audio Adaptation of Dame Sirith, written somewhere in the 13th century. There is a !Spoilers! episode that works through the play text in detail, and you might want to go back there before starting this on, it is a tricky text. !SPOILERS! can be found here - https://audioboom.com/posts/8075104-spoilers-dame-sirith In Dame Sirith: Mark Scanlon was the Narrator, Gillian Horgan - Margery, Seb Ranson - Wiliken, and Sarah Golding - Dame Sirith. The host is Robert Crighton, who produced the audio and provides additional voices. CONTEXT WARNING: Contains scenes of sexual coersion and animal cruelty. No animal was harming in the making of this audio. The dog is deliberately a bit rubbish, because we didn't want the play to take you to too dark a place. You can also listen to our version of the fragmentary Interludium de Clerico et Puella, which is basically the same story, done differently and slightly later... https://audioboom.com/posts/7224328-interludium-de-clerico-et-puella-fragment The Beyond

It's the first of two episodes on Dame Sirith from somewhere in the 13th century. This is a !Spoilers! session, working through the rough cut of the play - also with an Exploring session at the end. It's a massive episode, the follow up full cast audio adaptation will be a lot shorter. The cast for the plain text of Dame Sirith are - Mark Scanlon as the Narrator, Gillian Horgan as Margery, Seb Ranson as Wiliken, and Sarah Golding as Dame Sirith. The Exploring Session readers are Richard Fawcett, Liz Cole, Alan Scott, Maria Walker. The host is Robert Crighton BE WARNED - If you just want to listen to the play as a play, don't listen to the spoilers episodes. Come back later, or don't listen. However, if you find early drama hard to follow, then you will get a good grounding in the action here - especially as we may make changes or cuts for our final version! The plain text version is rough in hew, it will change and we produce it in part to hunt out errors. You can also listen to our version of the fragmenta

A special surprise discussing episode, hot off the press - here is a discussion with Jasmine Silk of the upcoming production of Mariam from Cutpurse Theatre Company - which is super exciting. If you can support the show, go along or pop something in their kickstarter appeal. Twitter @cutpursetheatre Buy Tickets 27th to 28th April (Evenings) and 30th April to 1st May (matinees and evenings) 2022 - https://www.tickettailor.com/events/cutpursetheatre/675429 Support their kickstarter - http://kck.st/3ix57GI Jasmine Silk is a theatre director & producer, working with Cutpurse Theatre to create a production of 'Mariam' by Elizabeth Cary for a modern audience. Cutpurse was founded with the goal of telling old stories in new ways, and collaborating with artists from other art forms to make exciting new productions. There is, as ever, a host of material on The Tragedy of Mariam by Elizabeth Cary play - on the podcast - https://audioboom.com/playlists/4631219-the-tragedy-of-mariam-by-elizabeth-cary And on the

A read through and discussion of Christ's Resurrection, as seen on our YouTube exploring sessions in another of our occasional cross over episodes. The play comes from the Digby manuscript - a collection of late medieval/early Tudor drama, this text dating to the first quarter of the 16th century, around 1520ish. This play is supposed to be played on Easter Day, following Christ's Burial which was performed on Good Friday - see previous episode. With the reading talents of Lynn Freitas as Peter; Gregory Musson as Andrew; Alan Scott as John Evangelist; Liza Graham as Second Mary; Sarah Blake as Angel and Jesus; Alexandra Kataigida as Third Mary; Sascha Cooper as Magdalen. The host was Robert Crighton.  You can go to the video version of this episode here. If you want. It's pretty much exactly the same, just you can see our lips move - https://youtu.be/sgdnh3T0aqg 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.c

A read through and discussion of Christ's Burial, as seen on our YouTube exploring sessions in another of our occasional cross over episodes. The play comes from the Digby manuscript - a collection of late medieval/early Tudor drama, this text dating to the first quarter of the 16th century, around 1520ish. This play is supposed to be played in the afternoon of Good Friday, hence our dropping it here. It is followed by Christ's Resurrection for Easter Day. Which will also drop this weekend. CW: It is an exposition on grief, so this packs a punch, and also features some early modern religious intolerance. Featuring the reading talents of Liza Graham as John Evangelist; Sarah Blake as Mary 3 / Virgin Mary; Stephen Longstaffe as Joseph of Aramathia; Sascha Cooper as Magdalen (or in the text Maudlyn); Alan Scott as Nicodemus; and Georgia Andrews as Mary or Maries when in unison. The host was Robert Crighton.  You can go to the video version of this episode here. If you want. It's pretty much exactly the same, ju

Chess Pieces: Exploring A Game at Chess by Thomas Middleton A planning session for our future productions of A Game at Chess by Middleton. We open with sections of Act Two, Scene Two and Act Three, Scene One - wrestling with the introduction of the Fat Bishop. There are fewer structural adaptive questions to solve in this scene, but it contains material that might help with issues we had adapting Act 1. With Gregory Musson, Liza Graham, Lynsey Beauchamp, Tom Helsby. The host was Robert Crighton. Our initial First Look Exploring Session can be found on our YouTube channel - feel free to browse, like, subscribe - and all that malarky. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLflmEwgdfKoJWOdHzBzkdJXtRR7UkydSW 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@

A series of podcasts looking at plays we'd like to see, where we and guests pitch a Fantasy Production. With much merriment and chat, we explore different media, different approaches and a different play each session. Each play has been covered on our YouTube channel, or on the podcast, so you can dig deeper into the text if you'd like. Regular segments include - Cocktail Minute (a play themed cocktail), and from the Chatroom (reactions to the play in chat from our readings). Contributors include: Liza Graham, Alexandra Kataigida, Sarah Blake (cocktail minute), and host Robert Crighton Episode Three: King Leir - a dive into ancient Briton with more goodwill and humour than you might expect. Catch up with our First and Second Look Explorings of the play via this handy playlist! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLflmEwgdfKoJehRmgu4lWLbXjnVKBViZe Contribute to our work specifically via King Leir paypal There will one day be some King Leir merchandise - coming soon! Join our Patreon to listen

A read through and discussion of The Conversion of St Paul, as seen on our YouTube exploring sessions in another of our occasional cross over episodes. The play comes from the Digby manuscript - a collection of late medieval/early Tudor drama, this text dating to the first quarter of the 16th century. There's a bit of a rotation of readers as we played through the text, but it features Gregory Musson as Caiaphas, Servant, Belial; Alexandra Kataigida as Saul and Mercury; Sally Barnden as 1st Knight, various incarnations of Deus, and the Servant to the High Priests. With Liza Graham joining us later on to read Annas and Angel.  The Poet was split between the company. You can go to the video version of this episode here. If you want. It's pretty much exactly the same, just you can see our lips move - https://youtu.be/iIj1Ip7lk-w 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 li

Fragments: Temperance and Humility by the Unknown - from the press of Wynkyn de Worde around the 1520's/30's. It might be linked to another fragmentary play The Four Cardinal Virtues - more on that later in the year. In the fragment known as Temperance and Humility by the Unknown - Pamela Flanagan was Temperance, Gillian Horgan - Disobedience, and Leigh McDonald - Humility.  The host was Robert Crighton, who also produced this recording. Additional links and material -  Exploring Session on Temperance and Humility - https://audioboom.com/posts/7137916-exploring-temperance-and-humility Exploring Session on The Four Cardinal Virtues - https://audioboom.com/posts/7144341-exploring-the-four-cardinal-virtues General Fragments Playlist - https://audioboom.com/playlists/4620050-fragments 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

A read through and discussion of Bosworth Field, a narrative poem by Sir John Beaumont published posthumously in 1629, telling the events of the battle of Bosworth in 1485. The poem isn't split into parts, and some of the splits are inexact, but roughly the readers were Eric Karoulla as Henry VI, Brakenbury, Ferrers, Talbot, Bourchier, Clifton; Liza Graham  as Norfolk, Stanley, Richmond, Percy, Surrey, Scout, Byron, Catesby; Emma Kemp as narrator for Richard's forces; Gina Moravec as Richard, Oxford, Hungerford. The host was Robert Crighton, who also read narration from the side of Richmond's forces. This continues our exploration of history plays/texts - especially on Richard III. Continue the journey with our work on The True Tragedy of Richard III - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VTVSKpMIFI&list=PLflmEwgdfKoLqof8eUWJU5EEJXr93e56y Or, The Ghost of Richard III - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0DblYYO8cQ Or, our discussing episode on Ghost - https://audioboom.com/posts/7633017-discussing-the-ghos

A read through and discussion of Calisto and Melebea, from the press of John Rastell Another in our occasional series of cross overs with our YouTube channel, this is a Second Look read through and discussion of Calisto and Melebea, coming from the printing press of John Rastell around 1525. It's an adaptation of a Spanish book/play Celestina, later published in English as The Spanish Bawd. This is our first take, recorded in 2021, returning to the play after a year or so, as prep for a more detailed run - the video of which can be watched here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlkGUCoxIwQ With Gregory Musson as Danio; Eric Karoulla as Calisto; Rachael Nicole as Melebea; Lynsey Beauchamp as Celestina; Alex Scott Fairley as Parmeno; Alexandra Kataigida as Sempronio. The host was Robert Crighton. The character of Celestina has many parallels in Dame Sirith and other texts. We haven't released our work on Dame Sirith at time of release, but the mentioned work on Interludium de Clerico et Puella is on the po

Chess Pieces: Exploring A Game at Chess by Thomas Middleton A planning session for our future productions of A Game at Chess by Middleton. We open Act Two, Scene One - CW: It features an attempted sexual assault. There are fewer structural adaptive questions to solve in this scene, but it contains material that might help with issues we had adapting Act 1. With Eric Karoulla, Liza Graham, Lynsey Beauchamp and Emma Kemp. The host was Robert Crighton. Our initial First Look Exploring Session can be found on our YouTube channel - feel free to browse, like, subscribe - and all that malarky. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLflmEwgdfKoJWOdHzBzkdJXtRR7UkydSW 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, F

Another in our occasional series of cross overs with our YouTube channel, this is a Second Look read through and discussion of The Four Elements by John Rastell, a fragmentary play from around 1519. This is our first take, recorded in 2021, returning to the play after a year or so, as prep for a more detailed run - the video of which can be watched here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlkGUCoxIwQ With Gregory Musson as Humanity; Eric Karoulla as Ignorance; Liza Graham as Sensual Appetite; Rachael Nicole as Studious Desire; Lynsey Beauchamp as The Messenger, Experience; Alex Scott Fairley as Nature, Taverner. The host was Robert Crighton. All the videos on The Four Elements can be viewed via this handy playlist - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAKX-oxejjs&list=PLflmEwgdfKoIsAsJqQvUYr5ItLoFVA2Lo To learn more about John Rastell, go to our Discussion episode on the man and his writing - https://audioboom.com/posts/7013153-discussing-john-rastell There's an interesting exposition of the globe/maps in t