Shakespeare's Two Playhouses

In what ways did playwrights like Shakespeare respond to the two urban locations of the Globe and the Blackfriars? What was the effect of their different acoustic and visual experiences on actors and audiences? What did the labels 'public' for the Globe and 'private' for the Blackfriars, actually mean in practice? Sarah Dustagheer offers the first in-depth, comparative analysis of the performance conditions of the two sites. This engaging study examines how the social, urban, sensory and historical characteristics of these playhouses affected dramatists, audiences and actors. Each chapter provides new interpretations of seminal King's Men's works written as the company began to perform in both settings, including The Alchemist, The Tempest and Henry VIII. Presenting a rich and compelling account of the two early modern theatres, the book also suggests fresh insights into recent contemporary productions at Shakespeare's Globe, London and the new Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

• The first book-length study to analyse the key differences in performance conditions between Shakespeare's two playhouses: the Globe and the Blackfriars Theatres
• Examines early modern drama in relation to contemporary reconstructions of Shakespeare's playhouses, including the new Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, and so constitutes one of the first publications to discuss its recent productions
• Uniquely combines two recent exciting trends in the study of early modern drama - repertory studies and spatial theory - to offer an engaging and dynamic argument