Beyond Shakespeare
Episodes
405: 1570 and All This - Part 1 (Hamlet to Hamilton Crossover
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here's the second of two mini seasons of crossover episodes with Emily C A Synder of the Hamlet to Hamilton podcast. It's actually second of five, as ...
404: Discussing: 100 Ballads
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a very late release of a discussion we had last year about the website 100 Ballads, which features over 100 ballads from the early modern peri...
407: The BIG Vote RESULTS!
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The votes are in, we have our winner - and a host of runners up and stats to discuss! Visual charts will be available on our website shortly after thi...
406: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 22)
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
403: Albion Knight - Full Cast Audio (Fragment)
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! It's a chunky fragment this week, and one I've been wanted to produce more fully for a long time. A kinda content warning that this episode is ...
402: Discussing: John Danter with Michelle Michel
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After joining us for so many explorations of the cony-catching pamphlets on our patreon channel, we couldn't not ask Michelle Michel to join us to d...
401: Endgame - Discussing: A Game at Chess (Middleton's Endgame 6)
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is our closing panel discussion from Middleton's Endgame, following a whole day looking at A Game at Chess and the end of Middleton's career, rec...
400: Lord Mayor's Show 1626 (Middleton's Endgame 5)
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our live recording of the 1626 Lord Mayor's Show - The Triumphs of Health and Prosperity - by Thomas Middleton, performed as part of Middle...
399: The King's Gambit (Middleton's Endgame 4)
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In August 2024, we produced an all day event Middleton’s Endgame: A Game at Chess LIVE! a pop up Middleton festival at The White Bear in Kennington...
398: Lord Mayor's Show 1624 - Full Cast Audio Adaptation
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to this full audio adaptation of the 1624 Lord Mayor's Show - The Monuments of Honour by John Webster. This is a playful reconstruction of th...
397: A Game at Chess by Thomas Middleton LIVE! (Middleton's Endgame 3)
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In August 2024, we produced an all day event Middleton’s Endgame: A Game at Chess LIVE! a pop up Middleton festival at The White Bear in Kenningto...
396: Wyrd Revels Update!
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! Just a quick update to remind you of our upcoming Wyrd Revels, a few guest announcements, and the possibility of some live streaming! Beyond...
395: Edward II from the play by Christopher Marlowe (Speech! Speech!)
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Speech! Speech! Occasional scenes and speeches from plays, voted for by those you support our work. This is a speech from Edward the Second by Christo...
394: A Game at Chess by Thomas Middleton LIVE! (Middleton's Endgame 2)
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In August 2024, we produced an all day event Middleton’s Endgame: A Game at Chess LIVE! a pop up Middleton festival at The White Bear in Kenningto...
393: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 21)
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 b...
392: !Spoilers! Dido, Queen of Carthage by Christopher Marlowe (Act 5)
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for some !Spoilers! for Act Five of Dido, Queen of Carthage by Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Nashe (discuss attribution with footnotes, ple...
388: After the Fall - Mirror for Magistrates Post Show Discussion (LIVE)
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Recorded live last year, this is the post show discussion of our adaptation of the opening of A Mirror for Magistrates which covers The Fall of Richar...
389: Diana from The Arraignment of Paris by George Peele (Speech! Speech!)
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Speech! Speech! Occasional scenes and speeches from plays, voted for by those you support our work. This is a speech from The Arraignment of Paris by ...
386: A Mirror for Magistrates: The Fall of Richard II (LIVE adaptation)
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Recorded live last year, this is our adaptation of the opening of A Mirror for Magistrates which covers The Fall of Richard II. We performed it live, ...
391: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 20)
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
387: !Spoilers! Dido, Queen of Carthage by Christopher Marlowe (Act 4)
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for some !Spoilers! for Act Four of Dido, Queen of Carthage by Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Nashe (discuss attribution with footnotes, ple...
390: Setting Up the Board - Introducing A Game at Chess (Middleton's Endgame 1)
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In August 2024, we produced an all day event Middleton’s Endgame: A Game at Chess LIVE! a pop up Middleton festival at The White Bear in Kenningto...
385: Faustus to Faustus by Robert Crighton - Part 1: Enter a Devil
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of our follow on projects from the readings of The Damnable Life and Deserved Death of Doctor John Faustus has been to try and figure out how the ...
384: Discussing: Early Modern Horror? with Dr Rebekah King
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're discussing... (sinister music plays) Horror, and whether we can sensibly describe some of the early modern and medieval drama as Horro...
383: !Spoilers! Dido, Queen of Carthage by Christopher Marlowe (Act 3)
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for some !Spoilers! for Act Three of Dido, Queen of Carthage by Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Nashe (discuss attribution with footnotes, pl...
382: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 19)
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
381: Oxford Mystery Cycle 2025 (Behind the Scenes)
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We were invited to follow the Behind the Scenes journey of the Oxford Mystery Cycle performed at St Edmund Hall on Saturday, 26 April 2025. This is a ...
380: Wyrd Revels Season Announcement
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! It's time for our next Revels season - discount early bird season tickets are now on sale for our wonderful patrons, become a £1 tier patron t...
379: Discussing: Leicester's Men & Their Plays with Laurie Johnson
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We have a new discussion with Professor Laurie Johnson about Leicester's Men, the playing company that ran throughout the early Elizabethan years of p...
378: Entertaining Henry (Live Show Updates)
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It'll be a bit quiet on the pod this week, as we're doing some live shows - tickets available below - but we thought we should update you on some of t...
377: Discussing: Snail Fight! with Prof. Liz Oakley-Brown
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Liz Oakley-Brown returns to the pod to discuss the play Thersites (c.1537) attributed to Nicholas Udall and based on a dialogue by from Joan...
376: !Spoilers! Dido, Queen of Carthage by Christopher Marlowe (Act 2)
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for some !Spoilers! for Act Two of Dido, Queen of Carthage by Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Nashe (discuss attribution with footnotes, plea...
375: Discussing: Thomas More with Dr Joanne Paul
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As part of the run up to Entertaining Henry we have this chat about Thomas More, prompted by Dr Joanne Paul's latest book on his life - it's a Venn di...
374: !Spoilers! Dido, Queen of Carthage by Christopher Marlowe (Act 1)
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for some !Spoilers! for Act One of Dido, Queen of Carthage by Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Nashe (discuss, with footnotes, please only wri...
373: Queen Isabella from Edward II by Christopher Marlowe (Speech! Speech!)
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Speech! Speech! Occasional scenes and speeches from plays, voted for by those you support our work. This is a speech from Edward II by Christopher Mar...
365: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 18)
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
372: Discussing: York Plays 2025 with Matthew Sergi
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This discussion is with organiser Matthew Sergi, Associate Professor of English (Medieval Drama), University of Toronto about the York Plays 2025. Per...
371: Discussing: You Can't Just Throw a Woman at It
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Discussing: You Can't Just Throw a Woman at it: Dramaturgical Misogyny in Early Modern Drama with Dr Nora J. Williams. Nora J. Williams is the Associ...
362: Richard III or, The English Prophet by Samuel Rowley (Fragment)
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's an interesting double bill episode this week, as we contemplate two pieces of evidence for one or two plays on Richard III. The first element com...
357: The Guise from The Massacre at Paris by Christopher Marlowe (Speech! Speech!)
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to this other side of our new strand, a return to a promised thing for our patrons - occasional scenes and speeches from plays, voted for by t...
364: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 17)
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
370: Entertaining Henry (Season Announcement)
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Surprise! We're having a party, and you're invited! Entertaining Henry will be a pop up festival of drama from the reign of Henry the Eighth - a three...
369: Discussing: Dick of Devonshire with Kate Ellis
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have a discussion of the play Dick of Devonshire by... well, you shall hear. This is a chat with Kate Ellis, who has produced a Revels ed...
356: Good Order or, Old Christmas by the Unknown (Fragment)
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for a rather chunky section of a damaged play. We have the end of this play, known as Good Order, or Old Christmas. Printed by William Raste...
367: Cleopatra by Samuel Daniel (Full Cast Audio Adaptation)
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's here at last, recorded live at The White Bear Theatre during our Winter Revels 2023 on Wednesday 13th December 2023, it's The Tragedy of Cleopatr...
364: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 16)
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
361: Exploring: Beware the Cat by William Baldwin - Part 5 (Archive LIVE Stream)
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to archived live stream exploring session for Beware the Cat by William Baldwin. It was live streamed on Robert Crighton's private YouTube cha...
366: Discussing: The Oxford Medieval Mystery Cycle 2025
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We have a special walk and talk discussing episode, recorded around St Edmund Hall in Oxford, with Professor Henrike Lähnemann, Fellow of St Edmund H...
368: Lady Rachel Fane's Household Masque (Behind the Scenes)
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Surprise pod drop! Yes, we're embedded in a production of Lady Rachel Fane's Household Masque, performing this Saturday (8th March 2025) at Boston Man...
361: Exploring: Beware the Cat by William Baldwin - Part 4 (Archive LIVE Stream)
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to archived live stream exploring session for Beware the Cat by William Baldwin. It was live streamed on Robert Crighton's private YouTube cha...
358: Discussing: Mucedorus with AMP Theatre Company
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have a chat with Allison and Mark Pajor of AMP Theatre Company, who recently produced a version of Mucedorus. Coming soon, a production o...
363: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 15)
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
361: Exploring: Beware the Cat by William Baldwin - Part 3 (Archive LIVE Stream)
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to archived live stream exploring session for Beware the Cat by William Baldwin. It was live streamed on Robert Crighton's private YouTube cha...
354: !Spoilers! Cleopatra by Samuel Daniel (Act 4 to 5)
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the second of our !Spoilers! episodes on Cleopatra by Samuel Daniel. A walk through of the action of the play, mixed with an initial edit of o...
360: Exploring: Beware the Cat by William Baldwin - Part 2 (Archive LIVE Stream)
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to archived live stream exploring session for Beware the Cat by William Baldwin. It was live streamed on Robert Crighton's private YouTube cha...
355: Discussing: Travelling Players in Early Modern England
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a special discussing episode, recorded live as a zoom event last year. Travelling Players in Early Modern England: Civic Spaces and Provincial...
334: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 14)
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
359: Exploring: Beware the Cat by William Baldwin - Part 1 (Archive LIVE Stream)
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to archived live stream exploring session for Beware the Cat by William Baldwin. It was live streamed on Robert Crighton's private YouTube cha...
353: !Spoilers! Cleopatra by Samuel Daniel (Act 1 to 3)
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first of our !Spoilers! episodes on Cleopatra by Samuel Daniel. A walk through of the action of the play, mixed with an initial edit of ou...
352: Hymen’s Triumph by Samuel Daniel (And Scene!)
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to this new strand, a return to a promised thing for our patrons - occasional scenes and speeches from plays, voted for by those you support o...
349: Round Up of the Year 2024
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's my little round up of 2024, all that we've achieved, and what we plan for next year - including the winning play, and the general winners, from o...
334: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 13)
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
351: Discussing: George Peele with Dr Annaliese Connolly LIVE!
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's our post show discussion following our Revels production of The Old Wives' Tale by George Peele, featuring Dr Annaliese Connolly chatting with Ro...
350: The Old Wives' Tale by George Peele (Full Cast Audio Adaptation)
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Recorded Live at the White Bear Theatre, we present our full cast audio adaptation of George Peele's The Old Wives' Tale. Recorded on Saturday 16th De...
301: The Lincoln Crying Christmas Ceremony (Fragment)
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's very merry episode of Fragments - The Lincoln Crying Christmas Ceremony 1564 It’s December 1564, the place Lincoln – and as today where there...
347: The Tamer Tamed by John Fletcher (Epilogue)
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's Epic Epilogue time - with a fly by of the closing moments to The Tamer Tamed by John Fletcher. The epilogue is performed (a few times) by Fiona ...
334: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 12)
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
346: !Spoilers! The Old Wives' Tale by George Peele
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's our Spoilers breakdown of The Old Wives' Tale by George Peele - the full edit of our full cast audio adaptation is on the patreon feed now, and j...
343: Exploring: For His Two Young Sons by John Bale (Dialogue)
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There isn't a particularly helpful title for this dialogue, it's very long - so this is a compromise of "A dialogue or communication to be had at a ta...
344: Discussing: Looking for Mariam
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our latest Discussing episode is about the online documentary, Looking for Mariam, with Sarah Neville, Elizabeth Kolkovich, and Tamara Mahadin You...
345: The BIG Vote 2024: Round 1 Results
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! The first round is over, and we have 85 (I think) plays in the long list. Round 2 is now open to help get us down to a short list of 12 - this ...
340: Lord Mayor's Show 1623 - Full Cast Audio Adaptation
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to this playful reconstruction of the 1623 Lord Mayor’s show by Anthony Munday and Thomas Middleton. Originally performed on the 29th Octobe...
334: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 11)
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
341: 1566 and All That - Part 2 (Hamlet to Hamilton Crossover)
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here's the second of two special crossover episodes with Emily C A Synder of the Hamlet to Hamilton podcast. It's actually second of five, but these t...
342: The BIG Vote 2024 is OPEN!
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hello! It's that time again when we ask, WHAT DO YOU WANT? This first vote is open to everyone and will create our long list for the next round... you...
340: Cambyses by Thomas Preston (Epilogue)
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's another exciting episode of Epic Epilogues, this time we're looking at Cambyses by Thomas Preston. We've done a fair amount on this one, with fir...
338: The Conceited Pedlar by Thomas Randolph (Full Cast Audio Adaptation)
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the full cast audio adaptation of The Conceited Pedlar by Thomas Randolph - there is a !Spoilers! episode with the full text, and this is largely...
334: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 10)
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
339: Discussing: Borrowed Feathers with Darren Freebury-Jones
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week it's another chat with Dr Darren Freebury-Jones about... a lot of playwrights. This chat most stays within the Elizabethan world of dramatis...
337: The Coxcomb by Beaumont and Fletcher (Epilogue)
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the quick look at the epilogue to The Coxcomb by John Fletcher and Francis Beaumont - originally written around 1608-12, but revised later. Wh...
336: !Spoilers! The Conceited Pedlar by Thomas Randolph
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A full(ish) breakdown and plain text audio of The Conceited Pedlar by Thomas Randolph, performed by Alex Scott Fairley. It's a rough commentary by Rob...
335: Two Shepherds in Praise of Astraea by Mary Sidney (Dialogue)
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A Dialogue between two Shepherds, Thenot and Piers, in Praise of Astraea by Mary Sidney - this is probably a sung dialogue, but we present the dialogu...
334: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 9)
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
335: 1566 and All That - Part 1 (Hamlet to Hamilton Crossover)
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here's the first of two special crossover episodes with Emily C A Synder of the Hamlet to Hamilton podcast. I say two, it's actually five, but these t...
332: Exploring: Kemp's Nine Days Wonder (Archive LIVE Stream)
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
March 2020, we were as a company reeling from having to cancel our first full scale live show, and had pivoted briefly to audio only live streams on Y...
333: Hamlet to Hamilton Crossover Teaser
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a little teaser for an approaching crossover event. Your host Robert Crighton has been moonlighting over at the Hamlet to Hamilton Podcast,...
331: Astorildo and Carrabunculo by the Unknown (Fragment)
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to this episode of Fragments, looking at Astorildo and Carrabunculo. We recorded the audio for this as part of a test live stream session, sha...
330: Exploring: Wisdom and Will by John Fisher
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the third of three Dialogues by John Fisher - recorded in a secret London location with Liza Graham and Robert Crighton. As ever with these print...
322: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 8)
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
329: Exploring: Of Maidens by John Fisher (Dialogue)
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the second of three Dialogues by John Fisher - recorded in a secret London location with Liza Graham and Robert Crighton. As ever with these prin...
328: Exploring: On Idleness by John Fisher (Dialogue)
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the first of three Dialogues by John Fisher - recorded in a secret London location with Liza Graham and Robert Crighton. As ever with these print...
327: The Noble Gentlemen by John Fletcher (Epilogue)
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Another Epic Epilogue, this time a short but sweet note from The Noble Gentlemen by John Fletcher and… someone. Part of what we might call the messy...
313: Occupation and Idleness by the Unknown (Full Cast Audio Adaptation)
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's our full cast audio adaptation of Occupation and Idleness by the Unknown - recorded live on YouTube, and mixed for your delectation and pleasure....
322: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 7)
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
326: Aegio, possibly by William Alley (Fragment)
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Another fragment is given a bit of love - this is based on a recording we made from a live stream, but given a tidy up and the usual Fragments treatme...
314: !Spoilers! Occupation and Idleness by the Unknown
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the !Spoilers! episode for our full cast audio adaptation of Occupation and Idleness by the Unknown - based on the live stream session on YouTube...
325: Discussing: The Tragedy of Mariam with Prof. Elizabeth Schafer
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A discussion with Professor Elizabeth Schafer about The Tragedy of Mariam by Elizabeth Cary, and other plays. This, as you may have noticed by now, is...
324: !Spoilers! Beware the Cat by William Baldwin
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our !Spoilers! walk through of Beware the Cat by William Baldwin. The audio recording of our live adaptation from the Revels season is avai...
322: Doctor John Faustus (Chapter 6)
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
321: The Shrewsbury Fragments - Pilgrims
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Finale of a three part series looking at The Shrewsbury Fragments - this is fragment number three, a Pilgrims play. This clears the very earliest surv...