Dec 22, 2025 | Books - Cut Scenes - Shakespeare - The Novel
12 Apostoli “Do you think because you are virtuous, that there shall be no more cakes and ale?” – Twelfth Night, Act II Scene ii Verona, Italy 8 December 1328 One of the favourite haunts of the Rakehells was a tavern with exquisite fare known as La Pentola –...
Mar 4, 2024 | Current Affairs - Essential Posts - History - Shakespeare - Theatre - Writing
Those who know my work will recognize my constant blending of Shakespeare and history. It entertains me to reconcile gaps in history with the characters and plots of Shakespeare’s plays. I often use these to explore various quirks of history, as well as the...
Jan 15, 2024 | Shakespeare - Theatre
There is a particularly pernicious trap awaiting actresses cast as Juliet. A similar trap awaits Lady Macbeth, though of a different nature, as well as several of the more archetypal male roles. But none of them are as insidious as The Juliet Trap. Here’s how it...
Oct 29, 2023 | History - Shakespeare
In the space between the Capulet Ball and the famous Window Scene, we have a terrific mockery of love performed by an inebriated Mercutio, with a tipsy Benvolio laughing and shushing him. Early on, Mercutio tries to summon Romeo by invoking ‘love’: MERCUTIO Romeo,...
Sep 20, 2023 | Publishing - Shakespeare - Theatre
Tracing the sources of Shakespeare’s plays to their roots is fun, though sometimes vexing. Do you work backwards, or try and trace the evolution from ancient texts to his eventual recreation? Chronologically, the most obvious inspiration for Shakespeare’s Romeo...
Sep 9, 2023 | Essential Posts - Shakespeare - Theatre
Shakespeare’s Macbeth explores the darkest recesses of the human psyche, delving into themes of ambition, power, guilt, and the consequences of one’s actions. Macbeth’s arc culminates in the “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” soliloquy in Act...
