Shakespeare and the Theatrical Event

'In a style which he has made entirely his own, John Russell Brown continues to illuminate our understanding of how Shakespeare's texts work. Brown writes a flawless prose and nothing interposes itself between the words and what they intend to convey: the way in which Shakespeare's dramatic rhetoric can be opened up for what it was always intended to do, come to life on the stage. Brown brings to his enterprise a life-long involvement with both the stage and the study. We know that we can trust him as our guide to the text as he takes us ever more deeply into Shakespeare. His pages on King Lear are among the best I know on the play's dramatic rhythm. All students of Shakespeare at school and at university should be encouraged to peruse Brown's book.' - Professor R Weis, University College, University of London 'Excellent supplementary reading for a theatre or literature course on Shakespeare. Highly recommended.' - A.F. Winstead, Choice

In his latest book, John Russell Brown offers a new and revealing way of reading and studying Shakespeare's plays, focusing on what a play does for an audience, as well as what its text says.In his latest book, John Russell Brown offers a new and revealing way of reading and studying Shakespeare's plays, focusing on what a play does for an audience, as well as what its text says. By considering the entire theatrical experience and not only what happens on stage, Brown takes his readers back to the major texts with a fuller understanding of their language, and an enhanced view of a play's theatrical potential.

Chapters on theatre-going, playscripts, acting, parts to perform, interplay, stage space, off-stage space, and the use of time all bring recent developments in Theatre studies together with Shakespeare Studies. Every aspect of theatre-making comes into view as a dozen major plays are presented in the context for which they were written, making this an adventurous and eminently practical book for all students of Shakespeare.