Looking at Shakespeare

'Looking at Shakespeare is brilliant. Kennedy's analytic skills, his visual perceptiveness and ability to recreate the dynamic of performance from the static evidence of photographs mean the book moves seamlessly between productions seen and unseen ... His 170 photographs, almost uniformly intriguing, include many unfamiliar pictures even of familiar productions ... Justifiably confident in his broad sweep of European and American production ... Kennedy is that rarest of guides, the reliable kind.' Peter Holland, The Times Literary Supplement

'… no previous study addresses the visual world of Shakespearean theatre in its full theoretical and cultural dimensions. Kennedy, a playwright himself and author of acclaimed books on Granville Barker, is remarkably well qualified for the task, and the result is dazzling.' Choice

'Dennis Kennedy's skill in describing specific performances will lead even the most theoretical or textually-oriented critic into visualising how multiple meanings can emerge from Shakespeare's plays … Looking at Shakespeare is a beautiful book … both archival and pioneering, this work is a major contribution to Shakespeare studies.' Theatre Research International

'… it is Kennedy's commentary, at once lucid and erudite, that makes the visual documentation leap off the page. Enlightening for the general reader, invaluable for theatre professionals and academics, Looking at Shakespeare … breaks new ground for performance-oriented theatre scholarship.' American Theatre

'Clearly and elegantly written, and handsomely produced by Cambridge University Press, Looking at Shakespeare is richly informative. It sets a high standard for all future studies of Shakespearean scenography.' Daniel J. Watermeier, Theatre History Studies