From the earliest drama in English, to the closing of the theatres in 1642, there was a hell of a lot of drama produced - and a lot of it wasn't by Shakespeare. Apart from a few noble exceptions these plays are often passed over, ignored or simply unknown. This is a blog about what exists beyond Shakespeare, about the plays, fragmentary and extant, that shaped the theatrical world that shaped our dramatic history.
NB: We've got a website! www.beyondshakespeare.org - that doesn't mean we're abandoning this blog, but it does mean that the main action is starting to shift elsewhere.
Latest News - Discover John Heywood Tickets Now On Sale!
The Beyond Shakespeare Company Presents...
DISCOVER John Heywood:
Entertainer to the King (and the Queen, another King, and another Queen – he lived a long time...)
Live Recording of a Podcast for the Beyond Shakespeare Company
Beginning his career as a musician and all round entertainer in the court of Henry the Eighth, John Heywood became a writer of some of the best plays of his age. The Beyond Shakespeare Company has been producing a complete works of John Heywood throughout 2018, playing his comedies and dramas for audiences online.
As a special fundraiser and launch for the newly created company, we present a selection box of Heywood's best work to entertain and edify. Recording live as a radio show in atmospheric and historic locations in East Anglia, Discover John Heywood will be an evening of comedy, debate, satire, history and the odd fart joke. Go Beyond Shakespeare and discover the greatest theatre maker of his age.
Strictly Limited Numbers - Book Now!
Bury St Edmunds - Saturday 1st December from 7pm
Performing at the Bury St Edmunds Farmers Club - with buffet option.
Pre-show Buffet Option – Hosted by the Artistic Director of the company, Robert Crighton, who will talk about the show and introduce John Heywood to you. Buffet, Introduction & Show (7pm onwards) – £30 for buffet and show
Tickets for just the Show (8pm onwards) – £15
Performing in the Bury St Edmunds Farmers Club Lower Lounge on Saturday 1st December
Tickets: Contact 01284 750 969 or email FrontofHouse@BSEFC.co.uk - or go to their website.
Any enquiries call 07946 652 196, or email admin@beyondshakespeare.org
Directed by Robert Crighton and performed by the Beyond Shakespeare Enterluders - including Heydn McCabe, Rob Myson, and Geir Madland. The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast can be found online via itunes or your favourite podcast provider. Follow us on Twitter @BeyondShakes
The ‘Beyond Shakespeare’ Podcast – A (Sort of) Mission Statement
From the earliest drama in English, to the closing of the theatres in 1642, there was a hell of a lot of drama produced - and a lot of it wasn't by Shakespeare.
Apart from a few noble exceptions these plays are often passed over, ignored or simply unknown. This podcast presents full audio productions of the plays, fragmentary and extant, that shaped the theatrical world that shaped our dramatic history.
We're going to produce EVERYTHING. In full, in part, in different ways, live, in studio, in rehearsal, in production - help support us by pledging on our patreon account, and get a vote as to what we do next. www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher or just listen here.
This week in audio - we're sharing a discussion with John Thor Ewing about printer, lawyer, playwright, adventurer, explorer, theatre builder... we run out of appellations, he seemed to do everything... John Rastell.
Around 1524/5 he published his jest book A Hundred Merry Tales, which has just been republished in a new edition by John Thor Ewing. Now, you might expect a book called A Hundred Merry Tales to contain one hundred merry tales, but you'd be mistaken.
To find out why there aren't you'll have to listen to the podcast OR you can buy the book on amazon here - it's excellent.
Enjoy.
Rastell also probably had a hand in writing Gentleness and Nobility with John Heywood. There's some debate on that, but you can decide for yourself by listening to our full cast audio adaptation.
And if you want to help us continue creating full cast audio and all our other podcasts, then do consider giving to our patreon - you even get a vote to decide what we do next! www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare
Or, if you want to give a one off donation, then you can buy us a coffee here.
More information about voting for plays can be found here!
Most podcasts / theatre companies do some sort of crowdfunding, and we're no different. This full cast audio lark isn't cheap and we're still a few months away from live shows.
Till then we're going to have two ways of donating - one ongoing via patreon, and the other as a little one off.
Just a One Time Thing...
The one off is simple and effective, you can give £3 via ko-fi, if you so choose. The money from there goes to the development side of things, our explorations of plays at read through's etc. We have a simple, low goal to achieve at present - we want to cover our printing costs for the autumn. Check it out. Help us print things. http://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare
For As Long (or as short) As You Like
The patreon feed is on going (www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare), a donation a month, but you get cool stuff in return. You can join our patreon here. And, unlike other podcast, we're not primarily offering access, trips to the studio, meet and greets, merchandise or special editions (we will do this, but it's not the cool thing) - we're offering you...
A VOTE!
You get to shape our repertoire!
Hell, not just a vote - you can flat out bribe us to produce whatever you want. Taxation with representation.
The system is simple, though there is some flanging round the details to be figured out - the more money you give, the more control you have over what we do. It starts with shaping the vague areas of work, from genre or time period, to focusing on specific playwrights and plays - to the final and logical end point of co-opting our production base.
The ballots occur every six months or so - so don't worry about missing one, you'll be in place for the next one.
Here's a rough outline of what you get: (NB: don't panic if it's not in your currency, whilst there is a variation in exchange rate for the amount, there are no massive fees or anything silly.)
$1 - gets to take the general survey, however any results will be considered non binding.
$3 - Vote for a Playwright - the first past the post winning gets some kind of project developed based on their work. Number of projects will depend on funds raised. This playwright will then have their tally dropped to zero for future rounds, though people can vote again later. This can be the same as the winning of the play category, and runners up may also get content produced, depending on funds raised. (Voting guide below.)
$5 - Vote for a Play - the first past the post winner will go into some kind of production, depending on funds raised. Second or third runners up may also do so. These plays will then be removed from the ballot for at least a year. (Voting guide below.)
$10 to $30 - Speeches and Scenes - your pledge gets you a special recording of speeches or scenes from plays of your choice, sometime over the next year, probably sooner. Once that is produced, we will work on your next choice over a similar timetable.
$50 - we will produce a table reading of a play of your choice, again sometime in the next year, again working on another project of your choice once your first choice is complete.
$250 - Full audio production of a play of your choice, recorded over a year.
$1000 - Full stage production of a play of your choice, produced over a year.
We will go back to the tally with an additional ballet whenever the voted for projects are complete, every four to six months or so - new patrons will be able to vote for the first time, patrons from previous ballots will get to vote again.
So, you want to help out, or more importantly boss us around - pledge today and start voting - www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare
Playwrights? There's over a hundred to choose from, including Anon. The only excluded playwrights from the first ballot are John Heywood and (forever and ever, amen) William Shakespeare. Playwright's who are coming up anyway are in play - so John Bale can be voted for, we'll just do more on him.
You can be obvious and go for a big hitter like Marlowe or Jonson, or someone obscure like R.B. Up to you. So long as they wrote prior to 1642.
Here's some names - it's not an exhaustive list, there may be errors, typos, omissions, and even some red herrings: Anonymous, Henry
Medwall, John Rastell, John Skelton, John Bale, John Redford, L.
Wager, John Phillip, W. Wager, Henry Cheke, George Gascoigne, George
Peele, Robert Wilson, Thomas Watson, Nathaniel Woods, John Lyly,
Robert Greene, Thomas Kyd, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Hughes, Thomas
Lodge, Henry Porter, Anthony Munday, Mary Herbert, William Alabaster,
William Warner, Thomas Heywood, Samuel Daniel, Robert Yarington,
Samuel Brandon, William Rowley, George Chapman, Ben Jonson, Richard
Benard, Henry Chettle, William Haughton, John Marston, Michael
Drayton, Fulke Greville, Thomas Middleton, Thomas Tomkis, Richard
Vennar, Elizabeth Cary, Samuel Rowley, Francis Verney, William
Alexander, John Day, Francis Beaumont, Samuel Daniel, Edward
Sharpham, Cyril Tourneur, George Wilkins, Robert Armin, Barnabe
Barnes, John Webster, Gervase Markham,
Nathan Field, Robert Daborne, Jo Cooke, George Ferebe, Samuel Brooke,
John Stephens, Robert Tailor, Phineas Fletcher, William Browne,
George Ruggle, Thomas Tomkis, Robert Daborne, John Fletcher, James
Shirley, Richard Brome, Jasper Heywood, John Studley, Thomas Nuce,
Thomas Newton, Sir Philip Sidney, Philip Massinger, John Ford & Uncle Tom Cobley and all.
Plays? There's literally hundreds of plays to choose from (and there's a ridiculous list below!) - and we're not adverse to some cheating, so poems that are a bit dramatic, translations from the period, stuff that's about theatre of the time, we'll give it a chance (and if we dismiss it, we'll give you another vote for something else, we're nice that way). Plays we've already done are excluded from the ballot - if you vote for something we've done we will take that as a vote for something similar to that play - in an IF YOU LIKE THAT, YOU'LL LOVE THIS kind of way.
Here's a stupidly inaccurate list of plays - with typos, errors, omissions, and red herrings.
The Cambridge
Prologue, Interludium de Clerico et Puella (frag), The Pride of Life,
The Castle of Perseverance, Shrewsbury Fragments, Dux Moraud, The
Rickinghall Fragment, The Durham Prologue, Reynes – Delight /
Epilogue, Wisdom or Mind, Will, and Understanding, Play of the
Sacrament, The Northampton Abraham, Mankind, Brome Abraham and Isaac,
Robin Hood and the Sheriff/Knight (frag), Norwich Grocers’ Play, The four Mystery 'cycles' - N-Town, York, Chester and Towneley, Occupation and Idleness, Lucidus and Dubius, The Killing of the
Children, Mary Magdalene, Fulgens and Lucrece, Nature, Ashmole
Fragment, Mundus et Infans, The Summoning of Everyman, The Conversion
of St Paul, Youth, Hickscorner, The Four Elements, Magnificence,
Christ’s Burial, Christ’s Resurrection, Callisto and Melebea,
Godly Queen Hester, Witty and Witless, John John, Gentleness and
Nobility, Pardoner and the Friar, Play of Love, The Prodigal Son or
Pater, Filius et Uxor (frag), Lucrece (frag), The Four PP, Courage,
Kindness, Cleaness (frag), D, G, T (frag), Play of the Weather, Old
Christmas or Good Order (frag) Temperance and Humility (frag), Albion
Knight (frag), Thersites, God’s Promises, Baptism, Temptation,
Three Laws, King Johan, Wit and Science, Love Feigned and Unfeigned
(frag), The Four Cardinal Virtues (frag), Resurrection of Our Lord,
Impatient Poverty, Somebody and Others (frag), Lusty Juventus, Nice
Wanton, Somebody Avarice and Minister, Ralph Roister Doister, Gammer
Gurtons Needle, Respublica, Jacob and Esau, Wealth and Health, Jack
Juggler, The Life and Repentance of Mary Magdalene, Patient Grissell,
The Longer Thou Livest the More Fool Thou Art? The Disobedient Child,
Enough is as Good as a Feast, The Pedler’s Prophecy, Tom Tyler and
his Wife, Robin Hood and the Friar, Robin Hood and the Potter (frag),
Cambises, Gorboduc, Free Will, The Bugbears, Apius and Virginia, King
Darius, Damon and Pithias, The Cruel Debtor (frag), Supposes, Gismond
of Salerne, Horestes, The Trial of Treasure, The Marriage of Wit and
Science, Like Will to Like, Susanna, Misogonus, Clyomon and Clamydes,
Juli and Juliun, New Custom, The Conflict of Custom, Glass of
Government, Abraham’s Sacrifice, Common Conditions, The Tide
Tarrieth No Man, All For Money, Promos and Cassandra, A Marriage
Between Wit and Wisdom, The Arraignment of Paris, Three Ladies of
London, The Conflict of Conscience, Rare Triumphs of Love and
Fortune, Maleager, Dido, Fidele and Fortunio, Oedipus, Campaspe,
Sappho and Phao, Galatea, The Seven Deadly Sins, The Famous Victories
of Henry V, Love’s Metamophosis, Hunting of Cupid, The Troublesome
Reign of King John, Alphonsus, The Spanish Tragedy, Tamberlaine I,
Dido (again), David and Bathsabe, Mucedorus, The Misfortunes of
Arthur, The Wounds of Civil War, Endymion, Tamberlaine II, The Two
Merry Women of Abingdon, Three Lords and Three Ladies of London,
Taming of a Shrew, Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay, Midas, Mother
Bombie, The Jew of Malta, John a Kent and John a Cumber, Battle of
Alcazar, Fair Em, King Leir, Soliman and Perseda, James IV, George a
Green, A Looking Glass for London and England, The Old Wives’ Tale,
The Cobblers Prophecy, Tragedy of Antony, A New Northern Jig, Arden of Faversham,
Jack Straw, Locrine, True Trag of Richard III, Orlando Furioso,
Edward I, A Knack to Know a Knave, Thomas of Woodstock, Ulysses
Redux, Selimus, John of Bordeaux, Dr Faustus, Edward II, Massacre at
Paris, Summer’s Last Will and Testament, Roxana, The Four Prentices
of London, The Woman in the Moon, Cornelia, Thomas Kyd, Cleopatra,
John a Kent and John a Cumber, Two Lamentable Tragedies, The Virtuous
Octavia, A New Wonder - A Woman Never Vexed, A Match at Midnight, The
Birth of Merlin, The Blind Begger of Alexandria, An Humourous Day’s
Mirth, The Case is Altered, Every Man In His Humour, The Downfall of
Robert Earl of Huntingdon, The Death of Robert Earl of Huntingdon,
Englishmen for My Money or A Woman Will Have Her Will, The Two Angry
Women of Abingdon, Antonio and Mellida, Sir John Oldcastle, Old
Fortunatus, The Shoemaker’s Holiday, Every Man Out of His Humour,
All Fools, Cynthia’s Revels, Alaham, Mustapha, Lust’s Dominion,
The Weakest Goeth to the Wall, Patient Grissel, I Blind Beggar of
Bethnal Green, The Bloody Banquet, What You Will, Satriomastix, The
Poetaster, Blurt, Master Constable, Sir Thomas Wyatt, The Royal King
and the Loyal Subject, Lingua, England’s Joy, Sir Thomas Wyatt,
Hoffman, or a Revenger for a Father, Mariam, The Gentleman Usher, The
Family of Love, The Dutch Courtesan, When You See Me, You Know Me,
Antipoe, The Tragedy of Darius, Sejanus, A Woman Killed With
Kindness, The Rape of Lucrece, The Phoenix, The Honest Whore,
Westward Ho!, Northward Ho!, Law Tricks, The Wise Woman of Hogsdon,
The Malcontent, The Fawn, Croseus, Monsieur D’Olive, Bussy
D’Ambois, The Tamer Tamed, Philotas, A Yorkshire Tragedy, The Fair
Maid of the West, Part 1, The Widow’s Tears, The Queen’s Arcadia,
Eastward Ho!, If You Know Not Me - You Know Nobody, The Whore of
Babylon, A Mad, Mad World My Masters, Michaelmas Term, The Isle of
Gulls, Volpone, The Wonder of Women or Sophonisba, The Fleir, The
Woman Hater, A Trick to Catch the Old One, The Puritan, The
Revenger’s Tragedy, Cupid’s Whirligig, The Atheist’s Tragedy,
The Miseries of Enforced Marriage, The Alexandraen Tragedy, Julius
Caesar, The Two Maids of Moreclacke, The Devil’s Charter, Ram
Alley, David, The Knight of the Burning Pestle, The Travels of Three
English Brothers, Humour out of Breath, Fortune by Land and Sea, The
Lovesick King, Your Five Gallants, The Faithful Shepherdess, Charles
Duke of Byron, The Parliament of Bees, A Shoemaker a Gentleman,
Appilus and Virginia, The Dumb Knight, The White Devil, A Woman is a
Weathercock, Epicoene, May Day, A Christian Turned Turk, The Revenge
of Bussy D’Ambois, Philaster, The Coxcomb, The Alchemist, The
Roaring Girl, If It Be Not Good the Devil is in It, Match Me in
London, The Insatiate Countess, Amends for Ladies, The Golden Age,
Catiline his Conspiracy, The Maid’s Tragedy, A King and No King,
Greenes Tu Quoque or The City Gallant, The Second Maiden’s Tragedy,
No Wit / No Help Like A Woman’s, Cupid’s Revenge, The Captain,
The Silver Age, Rollo or the Bloody Brother, The Brazen Age, The Iron
Age, The Shepherd’s Song, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, The Honest
Man’s Fortune, Adelphe, Scyros, Chabot Admiral of France, Caesar
and Pompey, Cynthia’s Revenge, Hog Hath Lost His Pearl, The
Dutchess of Malfi, The Witch, Wit at Several Weapons, Bonduca,
Valentinian, Wit Without Money, Hymen’s Triumphs, Bartholomew Fair,
Sicelides, Melanthe, Ulysses and Circe, Ignoramus, The Hector of
Germany, Albumazar, More Dissembers Besides Women, The Nice Valour, A
Fair Quarrel, Monsieur Thomas, The Scornful Lady, Thierry and
Theodoret, The Nightwalker or the Little Thief, Four Plays in One,
Love’s Cure or the Martial Maid, Wit at Several Weapons, The
Faithful Friends, The Widow, Hengist, King of Kent, The Devil Is An
Ass, The Poor Man’s Comfort, The Old Law, The Virgin Martyr, The
Witch of Edmonton, Anything for a Quiet Life, The Island Princess,
Women Beware Women, The Changeling, The Wonder of a Kingdom, The
Spanish Gypsy, The Suns Darling, A Game at Chess, The New Inn, The
Staple of News, Love’s Tricks, The Maid’s Revenge, The Wedding,
The Witty Fair One, The Grateful Servant, Pleasant Dialogue and
Dramas, The Fair Maid of the West, part 2, The Noble Spanish Soldier,
The Traitor, The Duke or the Humorous Courtier, Love’s Cruelty, The
Magnetic Lady, A Tale of a Tub, The Changes, Hyde Park, The Ball, The
Arcadia, The Bird in a Cage, The Gamester, The Young Admiral, The
Example, The Opportunity, The Coronation, The Lady of Pleasure, The
Duke’s Mistress, Mortimer (frag), The Royal Master, The Constant
Maid, The Doubtful Heir, The Gentlemen of Venice, The Politician, The
Imposture, The Country Captain, A Jovial Crew, The Brothers, The
Cardinal, The Sisters, The Court Secret, The Devil’s Law Case, A
Cure for a Cuckold, The Unnatural Combat, The Duke of Milan, The
Bondman, The Renegado, The Parliament of Love, The Roman Actor, The
Great Duke of Florence, The Maid of Honour, The Picture, The Emperor
of the East, The Fatal Dowry, Debts, The City Madam, The Guardian, A
Very Woman or the Prince of Tarent, The Bashful Lover, Tis Pity She’s
A Whore, The Lover’s Melancholy, The Broken Heart, Love’s
Sacrifice, Perkin Warbeck, The Fancies, Chaste and Noble, The Lady’s Trial,
The Sun’s Darling, A Pleasant Conceited Comedy of how a man may
choose a good wife from a Bad… and many many more!
One day we will do a full production of The Bloody Banquet by Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker - but till then we look at just the beginning, in the first of our What's Past is Prologue features. We're asking a fairly simple question - how do you start a play? Here's one way - the chorus and dumb show combo, with straightforward exposition that merges straightaway into action.
The Chorus is performed by Sarah Golding and it is presented by Robert Crighton.
by John Heywood (c1497-1578)
Written around 1529, printed in 1533.
Cast of Four:
The FRIAR
The PARDONER
The PARSON
Neighbour PRAT
Perfect for student or fringe production, running at approximately 30 minutes without a break.
Our Production: Full cast audio adaptation - with Rob Myson as the Friar and Heydn McCabe as the Pardoner. Also featuring Robert Crighton as the Parson and Simon Nader as Neighbour Prat. Additional voices by Michael Fouldes and Andy Piper. We're also looking at doing the play live, because that is the natural home for it.
If you'd like to read the text of the play there's a facsimile of the original printing here and a modern spelling edition of the play here. NB: there are a few errors and oddities in this edition, but it's close enough for mustard.
As per usual, our production text was cross referenced between various editions, which are reasonably plentiful for this play. That said, we don't think there are currently any easier to use modern spelling editions to work from - if you're interested in staging the play, we're happy to share our rehearsal script, if it is of use.
The cast is all male, but there is no particular reason why the genders should not be changed for modern productions - the only character with a name is Prat and his pronoun is a nicely generic neighbour, so play about.
Setting: A church before the Reformation. The play is a satire of certain practices of the church, the abuse of power, the selling of relics, the competition between different orders. That said, the play would survive a more modern staging - it is inherently playful, not strictly realistic.
Plot and Character: The Friar enters and appeals for alms, then gets on his knees to pray - presumably with his donation receptacle before him. His act of piety also a ploy to get money. This is interrupted by the arrival of the Pardoner who stands on a stool and starts flogging access to his holy relics - pretty mangy ones at that - for which act he claims he has a Papal dispensation to do. The Friar then stands and begins his patter again, but the Pardoner speaks over him. The two continue to talk to the crowd over each other, occasionally stopping to argue with each other, getting increasingly annoyed. Eventually they come to blows, the Parson and neighbour Prat coming in to break them up and expel them from the church. In the end the Pardoner and the Friar join forces to beat them up instead and leave together. The play is deceptively simple, but brilliantly structured, the overlapping arguments fitting together perfectly, allowing for play and give and take between the two protagonists.
Modern Staging Suggestions: Site specific would be an obvious way to go, but otherwise this play can be performed anywhere. An actual church, with difficult acoustics, might work against the play, so a deader space might be preferable. Unlike Heywood's debate plays this has a clear setting which can be indicted through action and dialogue, though with some set if desired.
Comparison with other Heywood Plays: This was the second play we recorded with our Heywood company, though the third we've produced. It was immediately embraced by the cast who found it a joy to perform, especially following the tougher text of Witty and Witless. It feels like a natural cousin to John John, with firm place and action, as well as clear comic thrust - they would make a good double bill as a one act show - running together at around 70 minutes. Whilst it covers similar ground as The Four Pp (yet to be recorded, so this assessment is perhaps premature) it is a more theatrical event.
Issues: Presenting this play as audio was difficult as it's inherently theatrical. The audiences attention is vied for by the two principle performers. That said, we were also glad that we didn't need to learn the play - it's incredibly difficult to get right. If you're staging it, make sure you get the text to your actors early so that they can be comfortable (i.e. know it) before they start to rehearse. They'll be taking their cues from each other as well as saying their lines - at the same time. It is only to be attempted by actors who are good with lines. About-right-it'll-do acting will not suffice unless you're playing Prat.
History: We know that this play has a modern performance history, but haven't come across many references to shows. If you know of any performances, past/present/future, do let us know. And if you're thinking of having a go at the play - please get in touch. We'd love to know about your take, and to help archive it if we can. We don't want to see just one production of any play, we want multiple takes out there.
His Previous Play: On Gentleness and Nobility - which is in production now.
His Next Play: The Four PP - which we'll get to later in the year.
Witty and Witless
by John Heywood (c1497-1578)
Written around 1525, surviving in a single manuscript.
Cast of Three:
JOHN
JAMES
JEROME
Perfect for student or fringe production, running at approximately 45 minutes without a break.
Our Production: Full cast audio adaptation - with Rob Myson as John, Heydn McCabe as James, and Robert Crighton as Jerome. The announcer is Simon Nader.
If you'd like to read the text of the play the original text (handwritten) can be viewed here or there's a modern spelling edition of the play here. NB: there are a few errors and oddities in this edition, but it's close enough for mustard.
Can you spot the difference?
Our production text was cross referenced between these editions, with reference to the Tudor Interludes edition in the original spelling - the creation of our script was, to coin a phrase, a total bastard. We don't think there are currently any easier to use modern spelling editions to work from - if you're interested in staging the play, we're happy to share our rehearsal script, if it is of use.
The cast is all male, but there is no particular reason why the genders should not be changed for modern productions - their names are never mentioned in the text, and even pronouns are used fairly sparsely. (Sir twice, he a few times - though usually to describe a hypothetical generic 'he' rather than the other speakers - it's very changeable.)
Setting: some event at the court of Henry VIII or one associated with it. The only two explicit indicators in the text to the world around are references to the king's fool, Will Summer, and to the kind of tat you might buy from Walsingham Abbey - a pseudo relic, a Walsingham ring, being the sort of thing sold to the credulous. The play doesn't really have a specific setting outside of that original performance context - it is a play about two people having an argument in a room populated with other people (an audience) from which a third person appears (from the audience most probably) to join the debate. That makes the play sound dry, but it has some interesting dynamics. For our studio recording we set the play in a pub, a definite setting rather than a performative one, where an argument can be both private and overheard; where you can argue with someone, but play the argument out to the rest of the room, or in our case, to the barman.
Plot and Character: The play is a debate, or perhaps more a battle of wills - or wits even. We're not going to go into detail about how the debate is structured - we're more interested in the way it flows between the characters - much of the thrust of the play is in the personalities at work. James, who argues that it is better to be witless than witty, constantly battles away at the less skillful arguer of John, who consistently concedes his own position. In brief - James believes that the witless, those who are less intelligent or educated, are happier than people who are witty, those who are more intellectual. John disagrees and the two argue it out. John's method of argument is mostly responsive, when he does make a point he repeats it in lists of examples, and then, conceding his opponents position, tries to change the terms of reference. Yes, you're right about X, but the important issue is really Y. He doesn't land a blow on James but dances around to another position.
Our working script also features some crossing out...
We decided that James was the more skilled debater, and that he may have chosen to debate with John because he knows he can beat him - despite winning the argument, you don't get the impression that James is really a brilliant debater, merely a dilettante who chooses his battles well. Of course, this is merely our own interpretation.
James speaks almost without the use of a full stop. The original text isn't punctuated, but however you work it, it's a text of never ending thoughts, one flowing into another. Again, the question is, is this because James is so clever he can link together thought after thought, or is it an attempt by James to appear cleverer by bamboozling his opponent with never ending words? We went for the latter, though in live performance there's play between them both.
When John speaks at length it is to make a list - and again there is a lot of play with how 'boring' these lists should be. The actor can play with the pauses between lines, tempting James to try and interrupt, before saying another example. It's a fun game, and one of the hallmarks of Heywood's work is the playfulness of his texts. They are supremely theatrical, (difficult for us doing audio!) and allow the actor lots of room to play with timing and pace, which keeps what could be a very dry play from being too serious.
John eventually gives in to James, but then Jerome appears (probably from the audience) to argue John's point for him - that the witty, the intelligent, are happier. James almost immediately leaves - perhaps sensing that he cannot beat this opponent, and Jerome has to argue John back to his original point. John is something of a tennis ball between two people who are much better at arguing than he.
Modern Staging Suggestions: It's a difficult play to get across outside of the original context - just putting it on a modern stage might be a bit dry, though we're willing to be convinced otherwise. We believe this would make a great site specific show, performed either as part of some kind of reenactment event, or in modern dress, following our audio staging, in an actual pub or bar. With a cast of only three and no actual props required, it is perfect for fringe theatre or student productions, perhaps in a double bill with one of Heywood's other plays.
Comparison with other Heywood Plays: This was the first play we started working on with our core company for the Heywood plays, and it was the hardest to wrangle with. It was noticeably easier to rehearse both The Pardoner and the Friar and Gentleness and Nobility. Pardoner isn't perhaps a fair comparison, as it isn't a play that demonstrates much in the way of argument, or at least not one the audience has to follow in detail. Gentleness and Nobility is quite similar in that the play is a debate, except that there are three speakers arguing in the same space for much of the play, rather than two sets of two. The argument for Gentleness is easier to follow - the cast almost audibly sighed with relief at the end of part one when they realised that they didn't need a chart to follow the twists and turns of the debate, that there were shorter, self contained sentences and fewer never ending hanging clauses.
Issues: Presenting a debate is easier on stage than on audio. We put our hands up and say we've probably failed to present the argument in a way that the audience will automatically follow in as clear a way as with a visual element. A stage production can give visual clues as to the debate in play, creating visual reference points to key in what is being said.
Our cast pointed out that, in comparison with other Heywood plays, they didn't really know who John, James and Jerome were - they were just people having a debate. We made decisions about them, but there really aren't many sign posts in the text to guide the actor, and our choices can easily be ignored by future producers.
History: We don't know if anyone has staged Witty and Witless before. The script survived in manuscript, publication came much later and we haven't come across any modern productions - but knowing how patchy people can be documenting productions, we assume it's been done somewhere, just no one shouted about it. If you know of any performances, past/present/future, do let us know. And if you're thinking of having a go at the play - please get in touch. We'd love to know about your take, and to help archive it if we can. We don't want to see just one production of any play, we want multiple takes out there.
His Next Play: John John by John Heywood - where this young playwright adapts a French farce.
Over the next year or so, one of the playwrights we're focusing on is John Heywood. The plan is to produce audio recordings of all his plays in some form or other by the end of summer 2018, but we'll stretch that out if needs be.
There are about seven plays and a fragment attributed to John Heywood, and we're releasing four of these for our podcast launch on 23rd April. We're using the same core company of actors where possible. One (John John, see below) has been produced already, albeit with an edited text performed before a live audience - the cuts and changes largely due to the fact that some of the visual aspects of the play would not carry across mediums. All barring The Play of the Weather have very small casts of three / four and require little in the way of music or adaptation for audio - which is partly why we decided to go all out this year on Heywood.
The other reason we're going all out for Heywood - he's great! It's a real shame that his plays aren't performed more often - especially as he is the first named playwright in English for whom we have a decent repertoire to work from. Seven short plays with small casts - he was made for modern fringe theatre! Almost all the plays are in the area of an hour long, they have small casts, they are (mostly) fairly fun, and they come with very little accumulated baggage - excessive classical referencing, poetic fancy, general noodling of extending metaphor or simile. He's everything that unwilling students wish Shakespeare was - short and to the point (with the possible exception of Witty and Witless). Of course one reason why not might be access. Putting together acting scripts for these recordings has been hard work. Wouldn't it be nice if there was one clear edition of all his plays, in a modern spelling, with clear footnotes and easy to use. But there isn't. There's an excellent scholarly edition of (almost) all his plays in the original spelling, there are many different individual plays published in anthologies... but no one stop shop, no easy access.
Maybe, one day, someone will publish a nice acting edition of the complete works.
But till then, the complete audio Heywood will have to do. See you on the 23rd April!
Box Set Volume 1: Releasing online April / May 2018 Witty and Witless, John John, The Pardoner and the Friarand Fragments: Reason Plus bonus material - text read through and rehearsal footage.
The Company: Mark Jenner, Ian McCabe, Rob Myson, Simon Nader, Sian Notley and Robert Crighton
Next Release: Gentleness and Nobility - parts one and two - June 2018
Hello!
If you've been here before you may be a tad confused - why the name change? What's going on?
Well, we're having a bit of a rebrand and new things are afoot. Hell, it's a positive leg worth of material a coming.
But that's a little way off - you'll have to be patient.
More soon!
Entertainer to the King (and the Queen, another King, and another Queen – he lived a long time...)
