English Shakespeares

Based on Peter Holland’s wide experience as a reviewer of stage productions, the book explores the full extent of Shakespeare performances in England over the last decade. As a regular reviewer for Shakespeare Survey and the BBC, Holland has examined the variety, the strengths and the problems of English productions. His introduction points out general themes which are taken up in the detailed chronological account of productions by several English companies, including the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, Cheek by Jowl, Northern Broadsides and the English Shakespeare Company. A final chapter compares the English experience with productions elsewhere. Peter Holland’s reviews are individually thoughtful, provocative and illuminating; cumulatively they show that there is no one English Shakespeare style but a rich and often bewildering variety.