The History Of European Theatre

Episode 150:

For this very appropriately timed guest episode, which is released on the 6th January, Rachel Aanstad kindly agreed to come on the podcast and talk about the Elizabethan twelfth night traditions and Shakespeare’s play of the same name.  As you will hear our discussion became very much more wide ranging than that, as is often the way when we talk about Shakespeare.  Rachel’s close study of the play came about not only because she has written on the play in her book 'A Bawdy Twelfth Night or What You Will an Encyclopaedia & Dramaturgical Handbook', but because she has directed productions of the play.  You will hear more on both those subjects as part of our conversation.  Rachel Aanstad is a writer, artist, historian and self-confessed Shakespeare nerd. She has an MFA in theatre and is the former Artistic Director of Rose City Shakespeare Company. She lives in the pacific Northwest from where she writes books about Shakespeare’s plays and is currently writing about Shakespeare’s Influences for Pen and Sword which is to be published in 2026.

Link to Twelfth Night or What You Will an Encyclopaedia & Dramaturgical Handbook:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Encyclopedia-Dramaturgical-Shakespearean-Encyclopedias-Handbooks/dp/B0BT2DZGTK/ref=sr_1_2?crid=270NMNCDMCX6J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tVcWzIabdRqiYBHGeNEcEPE_eYeRCTf2qEk6LRL3xtSgV8Xm38761BsX6tFKvqjKVi4kgv9kswwDFah3JLS67KX0r09uWKDy68AO_XpCOAQ.4HjwcRalbW8x65UhvPQl4quprJrQQPJUaajyTm9xVYs&dib_tag=se&keywords=r+k+aanstad&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1735475971&sprefix=r+k+aanstad%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-2