Beyond Shakespeare

Fragments: Processus Satanae - Or, Satan Vs God (Case Number 666) It's cue script time again - the text known as Processus Satanae is mostly the dialogue for the character God, with a few words as cues for the lines. It's a tricky one to date - somewhere around 1560 is the best guess, but it could come anywhere between 1500-80. The plot is simple. Satan sues God for ram raiding hell and stealing Adam, Eve and the rest of the Old Testament. This is a recording of a live presentation, recorded on Halloween 2019 at the Farmers Club in Bury St Edmunds, followed by our initial exploring session from earlier that year. You can follow a version of this text here: https://archive.org/details/p3collections02malouoft/page/238 LIVE: Rob Myson was God, Heydn McCabe was Satan, and presenter/everyone else was Robert Crighton. Exploring: The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars were Richard Fawcett as God, with Maria Walker as mostly Angels, and Mark Scanlon as Satan. Your Host is Robert Crighton. Support the podcast by going to w

Exploring: The N-Town Play, a slow burn look at a medieval Mystery (sort of) cycle. The N-Town Play comes to us as a single manuscript, but it's a compilation of various different sources - including elements from what looks like a cycle and various other large scale productions focusing on episodes from the Bible. We start with Play 1, following the story of the fall of Lucifer. It's a super short play and it moves into play 2 very swiftly - and we'll be coming back to this play in a few weeks time for more work. You can compare this play with our work on other fall of Lucifer plays - an Exploring session of Chester https://audioboom.com/posts/2158551-chester-plays-1-1-the-fall-of-lucifer (there's a part two, too) or our rough full cast audio adaptation here https://audioboom.com/posts/3529283-the-fall-of-lucifer-chester-mystery-cycle More variations exist and we'll get to them anon. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Liz Cole, Richard Fawcett, Mark Scanlon, and Alan Scott – with host, Rober

What's Past is Prologue: Tamburlaine the Great, Part 2 - a quick look at the prologue to the slightly murdery play by Christopher Marlowe. Tamburlaine the Great was so great it seems that Marlowe had to write a sequel, with a prologue telling us that the first part was so great it required the play the audience were about to witness. As it were.  The prologue is performed by the fabulous Sarah Golding, voice actor and audio producer extraordinary - you can hear Sarah Golding all over the podcasting world as a voice actor, and as the creator of MADIVA Podcast (or MODERN AUDIO DRAMA INDIE VOICE ACTING PODCAST) @QuirkyVoices DO YOU WANT TO HEAR MORE? If you'd like to make us to do a full audio production of this play, join us on patreon and choose this play at the next vote. www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare or you can follow us on Twitter @BeyondShakes - or go to our website beyondshakespeare.org The episode is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton. Additional sound effects from the wonderful people at http:

Exploring: The Tragedy of Antony (Act 1 into 2) From our pre-production Exploring sessions, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. The Tragedy of Antony is a translation of Robert Garnier's play, done into English by Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke in 1592. These are recordings of various readers and actors working through the first Act, and part of Act 2, as we tried to find a route into the play. It's the first step in a journey to understand and produce the play, with a plain text and full cast audio adaptation coming soon. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Mark Scanlon, and Alan Scott – with cast members Heydn McCabe and Rob Myson, and the inevitable host, Robert Crighton. There are a few editions of the play available both in print and online (one online version can be found here http://www.luminarium.org/renascence-editions/antonie.html) - we're very fond of the Three Tragedies by Renaissance Women, Penguin Renaissance Dramatists edit

Discussing Jack Drum's Entertainment by John Marston - with Sam Plumb, director of a production of the play with the Young Actors Company in 2016. Host Robert Crighton has a lengthy chat about the play, their production, working with youth theatre, and the nature of an Entertainment. And there's a bonus recording of the pre-show introduction, with Rob Myson as the Tireman. You can watch a recording of the discussed production on YouTube here - https://youtu.be/EbrxKFULTGk and there's more on the John Marston Project and the play here https://johnmarston.leeds.ac.uk/the-works/jack-drums-entertainment/ Support this podcast by going to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare, or follow us @BeyondShakes on Twitter, or visit our website www.beyondshakespeare.org

Happy New Year, if it is New Year yet, it probably is somewhere... anyway. Here's a little (fairly rambly) catch up from host Robert Crighton about the podcast at the end of the year, into the next, and projecting into the future. There's also a little bit on A Game at Chess, which is our five year plan. And an appeal to get involved - by joining us in Exploring A Game at Chess by Thomas Middleton. Support the podcast by going to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare and pledge something – or by leaving a review on itunes or whichever podcasting service you use. Or follow us on Twitter @BeyondShakes or check out our website at www.beyondshakespeare.org - you can even email us if you feel so inclined - admin@beyondshakespeare.org

The Stage-Players Complaint by Anonymous (printed 1641) This is a performance of a dialogue between two players, Cane of the Fortune and Reed of the Friars, complaining that the plague has closed the playhouses. Of course, we know from afar that there's worse to come for the theatre in a very short time. The times are a changing, and not for the better. Amidst the general hope for employment is a call for clemency for the stage itself. It will not be heard, and within a year of the printing of this dialogue the theatres will be closed, and then pulled down - a subject for covered in other texts available on this podcast - The Actors Remonstrance and An Ordinance for the Utter Suppression and Abolishing of All Stage Plays and Interludes (available in this playlist https://audioboom.com/playlists/4620467-down-with-this). Performed by Robert Crighton as Cane - who is called Quick presumably for the speed of his tongue - and Rob Myson as Reed - who is called Light, because of the nimbleness of his feet. The text

The Life and Death of Jack Straw by the Unknown - A Full Cast Audio Adaptation The Peasants Revolt has begun! Jack Straw and his fellow rebels head to London to demand an end to unfair taxes from the king. The fourteen year old king Richard II and his counsellors are completely unprepared for the revolt that quickly spirals out of control.  "We owe God a death, and we can but die!" Jack Straw is played by Pollie Hall, Wat Tyler by Leigh McDonald, Tom Miller by Hugh Weller-Poley, John Ball by Rob Myson and Nobs by Sarah Golding.  King Richard II is played by Nemonee Stone, the Archbishop by Adam Thurkettle, the Lord Mayor by Simon Nader, Sir John Morton by Geir Madland, Sir John Newton by Heydn McCabe, the Queen Mother by Gillian Horgan and the Usher by Pamela Flanagan. The Tax Collector is played by Robert Crighton, Hob Carter by Andy Barrett, the Messenger by Mark Scanlon, the Southwark Men by Alan Scott. Other parts played by members of the company.  Music composed and recorded by Jack Lawson. Technical p

A Full Cast Audio Adaptation of Gammer Gurton's Needle by Mr S.  A Comedy in which Gammer Gurton loses her needle, which opens up the household to mischief by one Diccon, the Bedlam.  Diccon was played by Heydn McCabe, Hodge by Geir Madland, Tib by Gillian Horgan, Gammer Gurton by Sarah Golding, Cock by Simon Nader, Dame Chat by Pamela Flanagan, Doctor Rat by Rob Myson and Master Baily by Andy Barrett. Technical presentation and opening narration by Robert Crighton.  !Spoilers! episodes that go through the play and present the complete unabridged plain text version of the script can be found on the podcast feed. This audio presentation of Gammer Gurton's Needle was chosen and supported by our patrons. They voted for it, we made it. You can follow the text online - though some texts are better than others. Good editions of the play can also be found - not always in print, but still in circulation - and are worth the hunt. Online versions are various and with many variations in text (dialect does that to a play

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 24 (Judgement) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. It's the end - except it isn't really, because we're just going to start on another mystery cycle anyway. And we'll go back over all of this again at some point. The great journey of life continues. Anyway, This is the Webstars play of the Judgement - where some judging goes on. More low key then the extravaganza last time, but still pretty epic. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Liz Cole, Richard Fawcett, Mark Scanlon, and Alan Scott – with host, Robert Crighton. There are more versions of the Chester plays than you can shake a stick at - (actually there are eight) - so any text you use to follow will probably be a bit different to ours (for the sticklers, our base text was H, except for play five, where it was just easier to go for a group text (D-or Hm, A, R, B) composite - though some readings may have been borrow

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 4) Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. This is the end, as there is no Act 4 - except it isn't as we're doing a lot more with this play - skip to about 16 minutes in for news on this.  Jack is dead, the rebels captured, it's time for justice/retribution. And a lot of politics on how to make that look good. The scenes are illustrated via a rough cut of our soon to be released full cast audio adaptation - which languishes in the edit as we post this. The rough cut of Act 4 to The Life and Death of Jack Straw is performed by Nemonee Stone as Richard II, Leigh McDonald as Wat Tyler, Rob Myson as Parson Ball, Heydn McCabe as Sir John Newton, Geir Madland as Sir John Morton, and Simon Nader as the Lord Mayor. With your host Robert Crighton. BE WARNED - If you just want to listen to the play as a play, don't listen to the spoilers episodes. Come back later, or don't listen. However, if you find earl

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 23 (Antichrist) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. We're almost done with the past, for soon we'll be into the future!  This is the Diars play of the Antichrist - or Antechrist - where someone decides to blow the season budget on the penultimate show. It's got magic, it's got battles, it's got music, it's got the coming of the end of the world. (The end will end next time.) The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Liz Cole, Richard Fawcett, Mark Scanlon, and Alan Scott – with host, Robert Crighton. There are more versions of the Chester plays than you can shake a stick at - (actually there are eight) - so any text you use to follow will probably be a bit different to ours (for the sticklers, our base text was H, except for play five, where it was just easier to go for a group text (D-or Hm, A, R, B) composite - though some readings may have been borrowed from all). However, y

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 3, Scene 3) Note: The precise scene division of Act Three is debatable, this episode goes from the general re-entrance of the king and the rebels after the mini scene with the Queen Mother. Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. This is the beginning of the end. Farewell Jack... this parley does not go well. And there's some business with a sword... which we need to sit down and think about for a bit. And the Lord Mayor goes... off message. The scenes are illustrated via a rough cut of our soon to be released full cast audio adaptation - which languishes in the edit as we post this. The rough cut of Act 3 scene 3 to The Life and Death of Jack Straw is performed by Pollie Hall as Jack Straw, Leigh McDonald as Wat Tyler, Rob Myson as Parson Ball, Hugh Weller Poley as Tom Miller, Heydn McCabe as Sir John Newton, Simon Nader as the Lord Mayor, and Nemonee Stone as Richard II. With your host Robert Crig

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 22 (Prophets of the Antichrist) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. We're almost done with the past, for soon we'll be into the future!  This is the Clotheworkers play of the Prophets of the Antichrist, where everyone gets high and reenact their dream journal. It's a strange introduction to an even stranger play. There are only two more plays to go, and the end of the world is nigh. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Liz Cole, Richard Fawcett, Mark Scanlon, and Alan Scott – with host, Robert Crighton. There are more versions of the Chester plays than you can shake a stick at - (actually there are eight) - so any text you use to follow will probably be a bit different to ours (for the sticklers, our base text was H, except for play five, where it was just easier to go for a group text (D-or Hm, A, R, B) composite - though some readings may have been borrowed from all). Ho

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 3, Scene 2) Note: The precise scene division of Act Three is debatable, this episode goes from the general exit of the king and the rebels after the parley up to their re-entrance. Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. This is a little interlude scene, where Tom Miller and Nobs pass the time of day, and Tom makes an appeal to the Queen. The scenes are illustrated via a rough cut of our soon to be released full cast audio adaptation - which languishes in the edit as we post this. The rough cut of Act 3 scene 2 to The Life and Death of Jack Straw is performed by Sarah Golding as Nobs, Hugh Weller-Poley as Tom Miller, Gillian Horgan as the Queen Mother, and Pamela Flanagan as the Usher. With your host Robert Crighton. BE WARNED - If you just want to listen to the play as a play, don't listen to the spoilers episodes. Come back later, or don't listen. However, if you find early drama hard to follow

Mundus et Infans or, The World and the Child by anonymous (dated somewhere before 1522). Mundus et Infans is a morality play in miniature, like other surviving morality plays, but scaled down to - potentially - only two actors.  It follows the shape of the other medieval morality plays we have - Castle of Perseverance et al - in that a man grows up to sin in the world and is guided back to good in old age.  There is at least one moment where we slightly overreact to the change in meaning for a word, but it's important to demonstrate areas of the text where modern changes alter meaning and create pitfalls. There are online versions of the text available variously and in print in the New Mermaids, Three Late Medieval Morality Plays - and we're sure elsewhere. You can find a version here - https://medievalit.com/home/edrama/morality-plays/mundus-et-infans/ other versions do exist, happy hunting. The Irregulars were Liz Cole, Richard Fawcett, Mark Scanlon and Alan Scott, with host Robert Crighton. The Beyond Sh

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 3, Scene 1) Note: The precise scene division of Act Three is debatable, this episode goes up to the general exit of the king and the rebels after the parley. Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. The start of Act 3 sees our heroes meet for the first time - with the king giving in to their demands and the diminishing of the rebel forces. The scenes are illustrated via a rough cut of our soon to be released full cast audio adaptation - which languishes in the edit as we post this. The rough cut of Act 3 scene 1 to The Life and Death of Jack Straw is performed by Pollie Hall as Jack Straw, Leigh McDonald as Wat Tyler, Andy Barrett as Hob Carter, Sarah Golding as Nobs, Heydn McCabe as Sir John Newton, Simon Nader as the Lord Mayor and Nemonee Stone as Richard II. With your host Robert Crighton. BE WARNED - If you just want to listen to the play as a play, don't listen to the spoilers episodes. Come

Exploring the Chester Mystery Cycle - Play 21 (Pentecost) From our Exploring workshop, where we read through the text of this play for future use towards an audio/stage show. We're almost done with the past, for soon we'll be into the future!  This is the Fishmongers play of Pentecost, where the team break up for the regular season finale. There are only three more plays to go, but they are - in various ways - in the future. The Beyond Shakespeare Irregulars this episode were Liz Cole, Richard Fawcett, Mark Scanlon, and Alan Scott – with host, Robert Crighton. There are more versions of the Chester plays than you can shake a stick at - (actually there are eight) - so any text you use to follow will probably be a bit different to ours (for the sticklers, our base text was H, except for play five, where it was just easier to go for a group text (D-or Hm, A, R, B) composite - though some readings may have been borrowed from all). However, you don't necessarily need to worry about such things, so here's a nice fr

Spoilers: The Life and Death of Jack Straw (Act 2, Scenes 2 to 5) Jack Straw is not a long play, but that won't stop us going into ridiculous amounts of detail about it. The rest of Act 2, following the goose scene, is a blur of incident as the rebellion sparks off into violence following a failed parley on the banks of the river Thames.  The scenes are illustrated via a rough cut of our soon to be released full cast audio adaptation - which languishes in the edit as we post this. The rough cut of Act 2 scenes 2 to 5 to The Life and Death of Jack Straw is performed by Pollie Hall as Jack Straw, Leigh McDonald as Wat Tyler, Hugh Weller-Poley as Tom Miller, Andy Barrett as Hob Carter, Sarah Golding as Nobs, Heydn McCabe as Sir John Newton, Geir Madland as Sir John Morton, Rob Myson as the bargeman, Alan Scott as the men of Southwark and Nemonee Stone as Richard II. With your host Robert Crighton. BE WARNED - If you just want to listen to the play as a play, don't listen to the spoilers episodes. Come back la

Nice Wanton, by anonymous (dated somewhere between 1547 - 1553) - with the version that we have having probably been revised around 1560. Nice Wanton is a fascinating interlude, a moral tale that is... somewhat judgy. Anything fun is bad and will lead to disease, poverty and death. As usual, a rough read through - with only a couple of "strong message here" accidental reading of stage directions as dialogue. There is an online version of the text available on Project Gutenberg here - other versions do exist, though we're not sure if they're in print.  The Irregulars were Liz Cole, Richard Fawcett, Mark Scanlon and Alan Scott, with host Robert Crighton. The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is supported by its patrons – become a patron and you get to choose the plays we work on next. Go to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare or follow us on Twitter @BeyondShakes or even go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org