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The History Of European Theatre
Lighting the Indoor Theatre: A Conversation with Nic Brownlee
Season 6, Ep. 114
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Episode 227
One of the questions that immediately arises when we consider the indoor theatres is how they were lit, although there are also many other questions about how performing indoors was informed by the experience of the touring companies and how it changed the nature of playing itself.
Very early in my journey through Shakespeare for the podcast I met Nic Brownlee who was then in the throes of completing his study into indoor theatre lighting, so the idea for this episode has been on my mind for a long time and I’m pleased that now Nic has finished his study I can bring you this discussion at an appropriate moment in the podcast timeline.
Nic Brownlie recently graduated with a PhD from the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham, completing a thesis focused on the effects of candlelight at Shakespeare’s Blackfriars playhouse. Nic currently runs the A Place to Write retreat centre in North Wales with his wife, Wendy, where they offer annual Shakespeare retreats exploring different genres of Shakespeare’s plays. In a varied prior career, he completed an English degree at the University of Hull, trained at Mountview Theatre School in London, and worked as an actor, theatre director and stage lighting designer for many years, including managing his own educational Shakespeare company. He has taught acting, stage lighting, and English Literature in a variety of educational settings, from secondary schools to higher education establishments, and he is currently working on a series of academic articles and a book detailing his research into Shakespeare’s late plays.
I first met Nic when I attended a three day retreat at ‘A Place to Write’ where we read and watched and discussed three Shakespeare comedies, among other things, so I can personally recommend the work he and Wendy are doing there. I talked to Nic over a zoom call from A Place To Write where he was somewhere between guests Breakfasts and planning his next play sessions and opened out conversation asking about how ‘A Place To Write’ came to be.
Find details for 'A Place To Write' Shakespeare and writing retreats at: www.aplacetowrite.co.uk
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116. Shakespeare on Sex: A Conversation with Marc Berley
49:53||Season 6, Ep. 116Episode 229:It has been long recognised that Shakespeare included a lot of sex references in his plays, many of which are now quite obscure to the modern viewer. Recently a book called ‘Shakespeare on Sex’ caught my eye and I had an entertaining time reading it and thinking on the different perspective it offers on Shakespeare when seen through the lens of how Shakespeare thought about sex for his plays.I was very pleased when author Marc Berley agreed to come on the podcast to discuss the book, although it did throw up a question immediately about how we could speak frankly about this subject on the podcast. As you will hear we were still struggling a bit with that question as we spoke. I hope we got the balance right, but be warned we talk about the language and mechanics of sex as they appear in the plays and hence I have marked this episode up as ‘explicit’.Marc Berley was professor of English at Rutgers and Barnard/Columbia. His fiction, poetry, and nonfiction have appeared in the Iowa Review, the Threepenny Review, Lit Hub, and newspapers nationwide. He has appeared on BBC and PBS and been covered by Reuters, USA Today, the Washington Post, and ABC’s The View. He holds a BA, MA, and PhD in English and comparative literature from Columbia. The author of ‘After the Heavenly Tune’ and editor of ‘Reading the Renaissance’, he is founding editor of the award-winning literary magazine LitMag. He lives in New York.Find out more about Marc and his work at: https://marcberley.com/Amazon UK link to 'Shakespeare on Sex: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shakespeare-Sex-Wills-Shaped-Liberated/dp/1510786465Amazon US link to 'Shakespeare on Sex': https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Sex-Wills-Shaped-Liberated/dp/1510786465Publishers website link: https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/9781510786462/shakespeare-on-sex/Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.115. Epicene: ‘Silence in a Woman is Like Speech in a Man’
36:08||Season 6, Ep. 115Episode 228:About the same time that Shakespeare was retelling the story of Pericles Ben Jonson was writing ‘Epicene, or the Silent Woman’, a play set very firmly in his home turf of London. It had been three years since Jonson had written for the public stage, which is not to say that his last play ‘Volpone’ was not a success, but he was occupied with producing masques for the King and the court, working with Inigo Jones, which a much more profitable endeavour for him personally than another satire for the public to judge. In those three years he produced seven court entertainments, so he was far from idle. Whatever the case ‘Epicene’ is another Jonson play that had a tricky start in life, although on the scale of some of his previous issues with the law and failures on the stage he probably did not feel too bad about this one.Dating and the first performances of the playThe Whitefriars TheatreThe sources for the playThe publication history of the playA synopsis of the plotThe first reception of ‘Epicene’Lady Arabella Stuart’s complaintThe location of the Whitefriars TheatreThe two prologues to the playJonson’s attitude to gender rolesThe Strand and the new West EndThe noise of the cityThe character of MoroseThe supporting charactersWomen, clothes, and the artifice of their appearanceCaptain and mistress OtterThe final reveal in the playReligious references in the playWhen Jonson brings himself into the textThe performance history of the play and its influencesSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.113. Pericles: ‘Tis time to fear when tyrants seem to kiss’
34:18||Season 6, Ep. 113Episode 226: Last time I took you through Macbeth, still one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays, but now we come to one that is rarely seen and vies with ‘King John’, ‘Two Noble Kinsman’ and ‘Timon of Athens’ as the least performed Shakespeare play. ‘Pericles’ is also a play that did not appear in the first folio and in fact did not make it into a folio edition until 1664 with the second printing of the third folio. More of that history in a moment, but it certainly raises interesting questions about why Hemmings and Condell did not include it in the first folio. The dating and early performance history of the playThe printing history of the playThe source material for the play‘Pericles’ as a collaborationA short word about George WilkinsA brief synopsis of the playThe riddle that reveals incestThe importance of a good name and familyBrides and fathers contrasted in the playThe Mediterranean locations of the playHow time is placed and passes in the playThe role of Gower in the playThe role of the gods in the playThe recognition sceneThe narrative inconsistencies in the play‘Pericles’ as a bitter-sweet comedyCritical reception of the playThe later performance history of the playSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.112. Shakespeare and Biblical Allusion: A Conversation with Paul Fried - Part 2
56:50||Season 6, Ep. 112Episode 225:Last time my guest Paul Fried and I discussed Biblical Allusion in Shakespeare with particular reference to Hamlet. This is the second part of our conversation, so please do make sure you have listened to part one before continuing here, things will make a lot more sense if you do. I first came across Paul’s Blog, Hamlet’s Bible, when I was researching my episodes on King Lear and I was very pleased to find that not only was it useful for those episodes but was a series of very interesting posts relating to Biblical allusion in Shakespeare, so, of course, I asked Paul, if he would like to come onto the podcast to share some of his insights into this subject. Paul is a retired college lecturer who has devoted years of study to Shakespeare and the bible and his blog, now in it’s tenth year, has become his way of sharing his research prior to what he hopes will be a published volume on Biblical allusion in Hamlet. He has also contributed several papers to Shakespeare conferences, most recently at the Shakespeare Association of America conference held in Denver in April 2026.I spoke to Paul from his home in Minnesota over a zoom call.Link to Paul’s blog ‘Hamlet’s Bible’: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/Link to ‘Hamlet’s Bible’ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamletsbible/Link to Paul’s account on ‘X’: https://x.com/padrianfriedSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.111. Shakespeare and Biblical Allusion: A Conversation with Paul Fried - Part 1
53:03||Season 6, Ep. 111Episode 224: While I was looking into some details while I was preparing for the episodes on King Lear I came across an article that was part of a blog called ‘Hamlet’s Bible’, which is written by Paul Fried and was very pleased to find a series of very interesting posts relating to Biblical allusion in Shakespeare, so, of course, I asked the author of the blog, Paul Fried, if he would like to come onto the podcast to share some of his insights into this subject. Paul is a retired college lecturer who has devoted years of study to Shakespeare and the bible and his blog, now in it’s tenth year, has become his way of sharing his research prior to what he hopes will be a published volume on Biblical allusion in Hamlet. He has also contributed several papers to Shakespeare conferences, most recently at the Shakespeare Association of America conference held in Denver in April 2026.I spoke to Paul from his home in Minnesota over a zoom call.Link to Paul’s blog ‘Hamlet’s Bible’: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/Link to ‘Hamlet’s Bible’ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamletsbible/Link to Paul’s account on ‘X’: https://x.com/padrianfriedSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.110. Macbeth Part 2: 'What’s Done Cannot Be Undone’
35:07||Season 6, Ep. 110Episode 223: Last time, in the first part of my look at ‘Macbeth’, I took you through the plot of the play and discussed the themes of ambition and guilt in it, with a focus on the character of Macbeth himself. I also looked at some of the language in the play and at the possibility that Thomas Middleton updated it for a revival in the 1610s or 1620s, and how he probably developed the scenes with the three witches at a time when devil plays and ideas about witches in the real world were very popular. This is the text that we most likely have in the First Folio, which is the first printed version of the play. Please do listen to that episode first before embarking on this one. Having spent some time on the character of Macbeth in the last episode I’m now going to pick up with a look at his wife. The character and actions of Lady MacbethReferences to equivocation in the playThe trial of Henry Garnet and the use of equivocationThe witches and the Macbeths as equivocatorsThe impact of the Porter’s speechThe Porter’s scene as a throwback to medieval cycle plays‘On The Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth’ by Thomas De QuinceyThe critical history of the playThe later performance history of the playThe curse of ‘the Scottish play’‘Macbeth’ as a very Jacobean play Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.109. Macbeth Part 1: ‘Look Like the Innocent Flower, But Be the Serpent Under’t’
35:13||Season 6, Ep. 109Episode 222:We can’t say for sure that ‘Macbeth’ was Shakespeare's next offering after 'Anthony and Cleopatra' as precise dating of these early 17th century plays is next to impossible, but whatever the case, it certainly has a very different feel and focus from it’s near contemporises. Although recounting historical events it is dominated by the presence and effect of the supernatural. This proved a mix that audiences have flocked to ever since and it remains one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays, for tragedy ranking only behind ‘Hamlet’.The dating of the playThe text in the First Folio and adaptations by Thomas MiddletonThe sources for the playA brief Synopsis of the playMacbeth and Julius CaesarMacbeth’s ambitionThe importance of the soliloquy in the playMacbeth’s feelings of guiltThe reports of the play by Simon ForemanBanquo’s ghost as a manifestation of Macbeth’s guiltBlood as a symbol of guiltThe torment of sleeplessnessThe tensions between destiny and free willThe three witchesLink to ‘That Shakespeare Life’ episode featuring Prof. Laurie Johnson on the ‘weird sisters’:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/that-shakespeare-life/id1372846116?i=1000751203466Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.108. Anthony and Cleopatra: ‘Age Cannot Wither Her, Nor Custom Stale Her Infinite Variety’
35:09||Season 6, Ep. 108Episode 221:Last time I took you into the world of the court masque with the help of Kristen Macdermott who, I think you will agree, painted a very detailed picture of that very particular theatrical form and the way the Stuart court embraced it. As we heard, masques were often written by playwrights and performed by actors who also wrote for and performed in the public playhouse, so it’s no surprise that a few plays feature masques. We have already encountered short masques in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘Timon of Athens’, with the best known example from ‘The Tempest’ still to come and Shakespeare’s next offering ‘Anthony and Cleopatra’ would, you might think, have been another opportunity to include a masque featuring exotic characters to add to the glamorous setting. In fact, Shakespeare chose not to include a masque specifically, but we can see that he uses the attributes of the masque throughout the play.Masque elements used in ‘Antony and Cleopatra’The dating of the playThe early print history of the playThe sources for the playThe different style of the play from it’s near neighboursA brief synopsis of the playHow the main characters and the political story and love story are balanced in the playThe hyperbolic language used in the playThe character of AntonyEquals and opposites in the play and how Antony deals with themThe character of OctaviusThe character of CleopatraThe death of CleopatraAntony and Cleopatra as a Stuart period playA short word on the history of criticism of the playThe later performance history of the play Support the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that’s for just £1 per month.