The History Of European Theatre
Philip Rowe
A more or less chronological history of the development and practice of theatre
- 37 minutes 46 secondsOthello part 2: ‘Farewell the Tranquil Mind, Farewell Content’
Episode 206
Last time I discussed the dating and sources for Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Othello’, the early performance history, and some points about the structure and poetry in the play. Then I took you through the first part of the play, up to the point where Iago had managed to sow seeds of doubt into Othello’s mind about the constancy of women and get his professional rival Michael Cassio so drunk and fired up that he got involved in a brawl with the town governor and is demoted. In doing so I looked at the characters of Iago, Brabantio and Cassio, so on this occasion listening to that episode is essential before starting on this one. If you need to do that as soon as you are back, I will be picking up from exactly where I left off last time.
The character and expected role of Emelia
The relationship of Emelia and Desdemona
The character of Bianca and the Venetian courtesan
How Bianca contrasts with Desdemona
Conflicting views of the character of Desdemona
The character of Othello
The play as a tragedy of Greek proportions
The disintegration of Othello from strong leader to murderer
Othello as a social disruptor
The ‘noble savage’ Vs the veneer of sophistication
The role of resentment and honour in the play
Later performances of the play
Some very selected criticism of the play
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9 March 2026, 6:30 am - 36 minutes 46 secondsOthello part 1: ‘O, Beware, my Lord, of Jealousy’
Episode 205:
Last time Ben Jonson’s retelling of a slice of Roman Imperial history failed to impress at the Globe theatre. As an actor in that play Shakespeare had first-hand experience of the way the audience in the theatre could turn on the poet and the players alike, but it is difficult to think that his confidence in his own work was much dented by the experience. His next play ‘The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice’ is, I would say, brim full of the confidence of an experienced playwright who knew that his play would both entertain on several levels and provoke much thought in the audience.
The dating and first performance of the play
The early publication history of the play
Details from a performance in 1610
The source material for the play
The structure of the play
The significance of Venice and Cyprus
The structural balances in the play
The poetry and imagery in the play
The use of language as a dramatic technique
The urgency of the opening of the play
The character of Iago and how he manipulates his victims
The character of Brabantio
What the Elizabethan audience might have thought of a ‘moor’
Queen Elizabeth’s attitude to immigrants from Africa
How Shakespeare handled the racial aspects of the play
The character of Micheal Cassio
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2 March 2026, 6:30 am - 44 minutes 18 secondsBeyond Shakespeare: A Conversation with Robert Crighton
Episode 204:
For today’s guest episode we welcome Robert Crighton to the podcast. Robert is the guiding light behind ‘Beyond Shakespeare’ a project that aims to shine a light on very early theatre through to Early Modern theatre. As the name ‘Beyond Shakespeare’ suggests Robert is keen to look at plays not written by Shakespeare and indeed, as you will hear, much of Robert’s work looks at works written long before Shakespeare was around. I first came across ‘Beyond Shakespeare’ through the online readings of early modern plays that Robert has produced as a means of working towards full audio and staged productions. It was a very useful point of reference for me when I was looking as those early Jonson plays where there is little chance of seeing a performance.
Beyond Shakespeare:
Link to Website: https://beyondshakespeare.org/
Link to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondShakespeare
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www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com
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9 February 2026, 6:30 am - 36 minutes 14 secondsSejanus His Fall: ‘Ambition Makes More Trusty Slaves Than Need’
Episode 203:
We now stay in the world of the Elizabethan interpretation of classical history and myth with Ben Jonson’s next play ‘Sejanus His Fall’. Rooted more firmly in history than myth Jonson’s play uses the story of a power struggle motivated by personal ambition to look at the nature of power, justice and politics. This was quite evidently dangerous ground for a playwright already known for his clashes with the authorities, but it was not just that commentary of contemporary politics that got Jonson into trouble with this play.
A brief word on the unfinished tragedy ‘Mortimer His Fall’
The ‘argument’ of the play and some thoughts on what the play might have been
The early performance history of ‘Sejanus His Fall’
The possible co-author of the play
The early reception of the play
The background to the poor reception of the play
A synopsis of the play
The ban on satires and histories
The translations of Tacitus and complications with Essex
How John Heyward’s problems with censorship influence the play
The play as a commentary on Elizabethan society
Questions of the control of power in the play
Questions of the application of justice in the play
The motivations of Sejanus
The aesthetic issues with the play
How Jonson mixed comedy and tragedy in the play
The influence of Marlowe on the verse in the play
Jonson censured for the play
The later performance history of the play
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www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com
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2 February 2026, 6:00 am - 41 minutes 53 secondsWhy did Shakespeare write ‘Troilus and Cressida’?: A Conversation with Rachel Aanstad
Episode 202:
For today’s guest episode it is a very warm welcome back to Racheal Aanstad. You will remember that Racheal and I have discussed Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the podcast and now she returns to discuss ‘Troilus and Cressida’. As you will hear Racheal was able to bring thoughts about the history of the play and it’s sources, particularly Homer’s Iliad, which, I think, really enhances our understanding of this challenging play.
Rachel Aanstad is a writer, artist, historian, and Shakespeare nerd with an MFA in theatre. She is the former Artistic Director of the Rose City Shakespeare Company and the author of A Bawdy Twelfth Night or What You Will Encyclopaedia & Dramaturgical Handbook and A Midsummer Night’s Dream Illustrated Handbook and Encyclopaedia. She lives in the Pacific Northwest from where I spoke to her over a zoom call.
Link to Shakespeare and Friends on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Shakespeareandfriends
Link to A Bawdy Twelfth Night UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Encyclopedia-Dramaturgical-Shakespearean-Encyclopedias-Handbooks/dp/B0BT2DZGTK/ref=sr_1_1
Link to A Bawdy Twelfth Night USA: https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Dramaturgical-Shakespearean-Encyclopedias-Handbooks/dp/B0BT2DZGTK/ref=sr_1_1
Link to Midsummer Nights Dream UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Midsummer-Nights-Illustrated-Handbook-Encyclopedia/dp/B09PKSTL1S
Link to Midsummer Nights Dream USA: https://www.amazon.com/Midsummer-Nights-Illustrated-Handbook-Encyclopedia/dp/B09PKSTL1S
Link to Marquee TV RSC Production: https://marquee.tv/videos/royal-shakespeare-troilus-cressida
Support the podcast at:
www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com
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26 January 2026, 6:30 am - 37 minutes 13 secondsTroilus and Cressida: ‘Men prize the thing ungained more than it is’
Episode 201
‘Troilus and Cressida’, is a challenging piece by pretty much everybody’s estimation. Although it is no surprise that Shakespeare looked to the Homeric tales for his next inspiration which part of that story he chose to dramatize perhaps is and what he chose to do with it has perplexed commentators ever since. Ambiguous is the word most often used, but ultimately opinions range through ‘failure’ to ‘misunderstood’ to ‘modernistic’, and just about everything else in-between.
The early print history and dating of the play
The confusion caused by the two quarto versions and the First Folio version
The source material for the play
A brief synopsis of the play
‘Troilus and Cressida’ as a ‘problem play’
The Prologue
The play as an ensemble piece
The ignoble nature of the characters in the play
Cassandra as the voice of truth
Troilus and his view of Cressida
Is there a parallel with Romeo and Juliet?
The portrayal of Achilles and Hector
Ulysses and the ‘great chain of being’ argument
Was the play written for the Inns of Court?
Pandarus and the bitter ending to the play explained
The critical reception of the play
The performance history of the play
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www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com
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19 January 2026, 6:30 am - 43 minutes 16 secondsShakespeare and Brecht: A Conversation with Stephen Unwin
Episode 200
For today’s guest episode it is a welcome return to the podcast for Stephen Unwin. I spoke to Stephen earlier in this Shakespeare and Jonson season to discuss his book ‘Poor Naked Wretches’ which examines the way Shakespeare portrayed working people and their significance in the plays. For his next published work Stephen has produced a work that examines Berthold Brecht’s lifelong obsession with Shakespeare and which makes the case for reading the two playwrights together. This is part of the Arden Performance Companion series so is slanted towards practical suggestions about how performance of Shakespeare can be achieved through Brechtian techniques.
Link to Stephen’s website: www.stephenunwin.uk
Link to online retailers for ‘Shakespeare and Brecht’:
Bloomsbury UK: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/shakespeare-and-brecht-9781350419612/
Bloomsbury US: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/shakespeare-and-brecht-9781350419636/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Brecht-Practical-Performance-Companions/dp/1350419613/ref=sr_1_1
Support the podcast at:
www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com
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12 January 2026, 6:30 am - 35 minutes 40 secondsTwelfth Night: ‘Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun: it shines everywhere’
Episode 199:
The line I have used for the title of today’s episode is spoken by Feste the fool, a central character in ‘Twelfth Night’. Fools have already played significant roles in Shakespeare’s previous plays and as you will hear there are possible connections between them and Feste, but significant as he is, and fools will be in forthcoming Shakespeare plays, there is so much more to Twelfth Night than just that one character. It is a play where other Shakespearean comedic characteristics also feature – identical twins, empowered and quick-witted women, variants on the braggart soldier character, and an exotic, virtually mystical, setting, spring to mind. If ever there was a comedy where Shakespeare was completely in his stride then this, for me, is the one.
The early performance history of the play
The dating of the play
The early print history of the play
The sources for the play
The establishing of social roles in the play
The positions of the knights Sir Toby and Sir Andrew
The role of Feste, the fool.
The impact of Feste’s songs
Feste as a portrait of Thomas Nashe
The centrality of Malvolio to the themes of the play
Feste’s sung epilogue to the play
Love, desire and infatuation in the play
The play as a knowingly theatrical story
The performance history of the play
Some of the critical reaction to the play
Link to Rachel Aanstad’s ‘A Bawdy Twelfth Night’ for UK customers:
Link to Rachel Aanstad’s ‘A Bawdy Twelfth Night’ for US customers:
Support the podcast at:
www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com
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5 January 2026, 6:30 am - 34 minutes 1 secondThe Poetaster: ‘Good Ignorance, I’m Glad Thou Art Gone’
Episode 198:
As Ben Jonson was writing ‘The Poetaster’ in 1601 the Elizabethan age was drawing to a close. Elizabeth would live until March 1603, but by 1601 any hope of a natural heir was long past and her court and councillors were playing a waiting game and with different degrees of secrecy were trying to manipulate the situation over the accession to their own advantage. Jonson, I’m sure, had an eye and an ear on those politics, but the comedy he was writing was more concerned with the politics of the theatre than those in the court. In the previous episode on ‘Cynthia’s Revels’ and in my episodes on Thomas Dekker, that you can still find on the podcast archive, I have touched on ‘the war of the poets’ and this episode on ‘The Poetaster’ will bring these matters to a close. Although it’s not essential you might find listening to those earlier episodes useful, if you have not done so already, before listening to this one.
The early performance of the play and it’s place in the ‘war of the poets’
The print history of the play
The theme of the role of the poet
A short synopsis of the play
The caricature of John Marston
The Poetaster and Satiromastix
The feud as fuelled by the rivalry between playing troupes
The poet as councillor and companion to the monarch
The exposing of the poetasters
The change in title
Reference to the Essex rebellion
The attempted censoring of the play
The epilogue
The end of the ‘Poetomachia’
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22 December 2025, 5:50 am - 40 minutes 27 secondsIllustrated Tudors: A Conversation with Simon Sandys Winsch
Episode 197:
For today’s guest episode I had the pleasure of talking to Simon Sandys Winsch, author of the Illustrated Tudor Dictionary. Given Simon’s broad knowledge of the period I took the opportunity to talk to him about some of the entries in the dictionary that give us a view of what life was like for the Elizabethan’s who went to the London theatres. We started by going back a few years into the reign of Henry 8th and discussed actions of his, the legacy of which the Elizabethans were still living with which led onto conversations about some of the struggles of the ordinary Elizabethan life.
Simon Sandys Winsch graduated from Aberystwyth university with a degree in History and international politics and then became a history teacher working in various schools. It was during that career that he realised the importance of knowing topics in depth as well as the need to keep lessons informative and interesting as possible and he now puts those skills to use in writing history books.
Link to the Tudor Illustrated Dictionary on Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Illustrated-Tudor-Dictionary-Simon-Sandys-Winsch/dp/1036101983/ref=sr_1_1?
Link to the Tudor Illustrated Dictionary on Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Tudor-Dictionary-Simon-Sandys-Winsch/dp/1036101983/ref=sr_1_1?
Support the podcast at:
www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com
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15 December 2025, 6:00 am - 36 minutes 37 secondsCynthia’s Revels: ‘O That Joy So Soon Should Waste’
Episode 196:
The origins of the play written for the court and the Children of the Chaple playing company
Why this type of play is a fit for the child playing troupes
The print history of the play
A brief synopsis of the play
Myth, Satire and Masque - the complexities with getting an understanding of the play
The minor role of plot compared to words and music in the play
The performance style of the boy playing companies compared to the adult companies
The verbal sketching of characters as part of the satiric intent
The play as part of the battle of the poets
Unpicking the satiric portraits in the play
The introduction of the Poetaster
The masque and it’s role in the play
Jonson’s coded support for the Earl of Essex in the play
Early responses to the play and the longer historical view
Link to European Review of History Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/european-review-of-history-podcast/id1695812614
Support the podcast at:
www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com
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