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Beyond Shakespeare

Beyond Shakespeare

Beyond Shakespeare 500 Episodes Aug 21, 2026

This podcast explores the vast world of English drama from its earliest beginnings up to the closure of the theatres in 1642, focusing on plays that are not by Shakespeare. It features full audio productions of these often overlooked or unknown plays, shedding light on the theatrical landscape that influenced dramatic history.

Episodes

442: Discussing: Cue Scripts with Lizzie Conrad Hughes
442: Discussing: Cue Scripts with Lizzie Conrad Hughes Aug 21, 2026 2838 Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original textsThis week we have a chat about Cue Scripts with Lizzie Conrad Hughes, founder of Shake-scene S*********e about the practice of using cues scripts to produce a show.Find out more about their work - https://www.shake-sceneshakespeare.co.uk/Support their work - https://www.patreon.com/shakesceneshakespeareOur patrons r
447: The Norwich Grocers' Play - Version A (Full Cast Adaptation)
447: The Norwich Grocers' Play - Version A (Full Cast Adaptation) Aug 14, 2026 664 Welcome to this full cast audio of The Norwich Grocers' Play - version A from the 1530's! Version B from thirty years later will follow anon.The Story of the Creation of Eve, with the Expelling of Adam and Eve out of Paradise by Stephen PrewettWith Song Marshall as Eve, Benjamin Finch as Adam, Larissa Oates Serpent, and Alison Whismore as GodThe text coach for the production was Liza GrahamThe No
446: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 29)
446: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 29) Aug 11, 2026 462 Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original textsThe History of the Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Doctor John Faustus, is the book that is the source for Christopher Marlowe's play. Chapter by chapter we will wander through the twists and turns of this story.We begin the last section of the book - or:  The third and last of Doctor Faustus his merry conceits,
445: Unattached Fragments | Part 3 (Fragments)
445: Unattached Fragments | Part 3 (Fragments) Aug 7, 2026 169 Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original textsPart three of our an epic (yet dinky) series looking at some fragments found in The English Treasury of Wit and Language by John Cotgrave. This is a fairly chunky opening gambit, with the preface to the book, before our usual drive by at a short bit of text.You can find a version of the text at archive.org. This fra
444: The Witch of Edmonton by Dekker, Ford and Rowley (LIVE Full Cast Audio Recording)
444: The Witch of Edmonton by Dekker, Ford and Rowley (LIVE Full Cast Audio Recording) Jul 31, 2026 8783 The Witch of Edmonton by Thomas Dekker, John Ford & William RowleyRecorded live at the White Bear Theatre on Tuesday 21st October at 7.30pmCW: Below the cast listCast:Aliki Chapple - Old BanksRobert Crighton – JusticeTobias Deacon - Sir ArthurBrian Eastty - Old ThorneyPamela Flanagan - Third Clown / Constable / First CountrymanAlex Kapila - Winifred / SawgutEmma Kemp – SusanSusan Kyd – Mother
443: Discussing: Music and Emotion on the Caroline Stage
443: Discussing: Music and Emotion on the Caroline Stage Jul 24, 2026 2281 Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original textsThis week it's a discussing episode where I chat with Dr Shirley Bell about her book Music and Emotion on the Caroline Stage - available now!The book examines the relationship between music and emotion in the Caroline theatre. Music could be ravishing, it could be unsettling, it could be used as a way of depicting m
441: Gown, Hood, and Cap (Full Cast Audio Adaptation)
441: Gown, Hood, and Cap (Full Cast Audio Adaptation) Jul 17, 2026 728 Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original textsWelcome to more university silliness! It's Gown, Hood and Cap – which survives in a manuscript at the Folger library. Like our recently released Band, Cuff and Ruff, this is a short skit written by students at Cambridge.Gown, Hood and Cap is less conflict driven that Work for Cutlers, or Band, Cuff and Gown, and is
424: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 28)
424: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 28) Jul 14, 2026 152 Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts The History of the Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Doctor John Faustus, is the book that is the source for Christopher Marlowe's play. Chapter by chapter we will wander through the twists and turns of this story.Chapter Twenty-Eight: Faustus was asked a question concerning thunder. Our patrons also get an explo
440: Unattached Fragments | Part 2 (Fragments)
440: Unattached Fragments | Part 2 (Fragments) Jul 10, 2026 188 Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original textsPart two of our an epic (yet dinky) series looking at some fragments found in The English Treasury of Wit and Language by John Cotgrave. This is a fairly chunky opening gambit, with the preface to the book, before our usual drive by at a short bit of text.You can find a version of the text at archive.org. It's found
439: Band, Cuff, and Ruff (Full Cast Audio Adaptation)
439: Band, Cuff, and Ruff (Full Cast Audio Adaptation) Jul 3, 2026 914 Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original textsThis week you're getting another university comedy! It's A Merry Dialogue between Band, Cuff and Ruff by the Unknown. It was printed in 1615 and probably performed a year or so earlier by students at Cambridge. More of this kind of thing is on the way!Band, Cuff and Ruff is about different detailing in clothing, and
438: Discussing: Predramatic Theatre
438: Discussing: Predramatic Theatre Jun 26, 2026 2616 Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original textsThis month we've discussing a new book by Eleanor Rycroft and Greg Walker - Predramatic Theatre: The Radicalism of Early British Performance. It's a book that connects strongly with our practical work on early theatre, as well as engagements with ideas of the postdramatic in some of our performances. If that sounds
437: The Pardoner and the Friar by John Heywood (LIVE Archive Recording)
437: The Pardoner and the Friar by John Heywood (LIVE Archive Recording) Jun 19, 2026 2208 Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original textsWelcome to our live stage recording of The Pardoner and the Friar by John Heywood. It's not designed as an audio adaptation, this is simply recorded from a distance on stage. However, it is hopefully of some use. It was recorded as part of our Entertaining Henry season on Sunday 22nd June 2025 at the Quay Theatre, S

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