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.
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!
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 Friar and 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
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