Beyond Shakespeare

Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts

This week we haves a chat about The Parnassus Plays, written in Cambridge in the early 1600's by some people. Robert Crighton is joined by the editors of an upcoming edition of the plays for the Revels series, Andrew Hadfield and Neil Rhodes.

The plays are available to buy from Manchester University Press now!

Andrew Hadfield has taught a variety of undergraduate courses throughout his career at the Universities of Leeds, Ulster, Aberystwyth, Columbia (New York), and Sussex, concentrating on medieval and early modern literature, Irish literature, literary theory and some twentieth-century literature. He has also taught M. A. courses on Spenser; literature, travel writing and colonialism; and Shakespeare, and also has been a visiting professor at the University of Granada (Spain) since 2007 and a fellow of the British Academy and the English Association.

Neil Rhodes was a Scholar of St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where he was awarded the degrees of MA and DPhil and was a Newdigate prizewinner. He is currently a Visiting Professor at the University of Granada, and Liverpool Hope University, and joint General Editor with Andrew Hadfield of the MHRA Tudor and Stuart Translations. From 2014-16 he held a Leverhulme Research Fellowship to work on a book entitled Common: The Development of Literary Culture in Sixteenth-Century England, published by Oxford University Press in 2018. His teaching is principally in the fields of English Renaissance literature.

Our patrons received this episode in July 2026 - over a three months early!
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 if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at [email protected], follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ
The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

About our sponsors - the Malone Society. The Society was founded in 1906 at the initiative of A.W. Pollard, and for over a century they have published (almost) every year edited volumes of early printed and manuscript texts of both well-known and neglected plays. They also publish collections of documentary material relating to the performance and reception of early drama. Their best-known publications include W.W. Greg’s edition of Sir Thomas More, a collaborative history play, and A.C. Dunstan’s edition of the earliest surviving original play in English to have been written by a woman, Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam.
Their membership is international and open to anyone interested in early drama. Members receive their annual volumes and are able to buy books from their backlist at low prices.
In addition to their publications, they support scholarship of early drama through fellowships and research grants, an annual prize for graduate students, and performances and symposia.
The Society is named after Edmond Malone, born in Dublin in 1741, a great editor, textual scholar and theatre historian, whose work continues to shape studies in early drama.

Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts

Part four of our an epic (yet dinky) series looking at some fragments found in The English Treasury of Wit and Language by John Cotgrave.
You can find a version of the text at archive.org. This fragment comes from page 40 and another quote on Chamber-maids. The text is performed by Aliki Chapple, the host is Robert Crighton.

Our patrons received this episode in March 2025 - over eighteen months early!
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 if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at [email protected], follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ
The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

About our sponsors - the Malone Society. The Society was founded in 1906 at the initiative of A.W. Pollard, and for over a century they have published (almost) every year edited volumes of early printed and manuscript texts of both well-known and neglected plays. They also publish collections of documentary material relating to the performance and reception of early drama. Their best-known publications include W.W. Greg’s edition of Sir Thomas More, a collaborative history play, and A.C. Dunstan’s edition of the earliest surviving original play in English to have been written by a woman, Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam.
Their membership is international and open to anyone interested in early drama. Members receive their annual volumes and are able to buy books from their backlist at low prices.
In addition to their publications, they support scholarship of early drama through fellowships and research grants, an annual prize for graduate students, and performances and symposia.
The Society is named after Edmond Malone, born in Dublin in 1741, a great editor, textual scholar and theatre historian, whose work continues to shape studies in early drama.

Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts

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 chapter we will wander through the twists and turns of this story.

We continue the last section of the book - or:
The third and last of Doctor Faustus his merry conceits, showing after what sort he practised Necromancy in the Courts of great Princes, and lastly of his fearful and pitiful end.

Chapter Thirty-One: How the above mentioned Knight went about to be revenged of Doctor Faustus. 

Our patrons also get an exploring session looking in detail at the text - join our chat here.

Thunder sfx thanks to zapsplat.com

Our patrons received this episode in February 2025 - over 18 months early. They have also already received the next 19 chapters and exploring sessions!
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 if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at [email protected], follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ
The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

About our sponsors - the Malone Society. The Society was founded in 1906 at the initiative of A.W. Pollard, and for over a century they have published (almost) every year edited volumes of early printed and manuscript texts of both well-known and neglected plays. They also publish collections of documentary material relating to the performance and reception of early drama. Their best-known publications include W.W. Greg’s edition of Sir Thomas More, a collaborative history play, and A.C. Dunstan’s edition of the earliest surviving original play in English to have been written by a woman, Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam.
Their membership is international and open to anyone interested in early drama. Members receive their annual volumes and are able to buy books from their backlist at low prices.
In addition to their publications, they support scholarship of early drama through fellowships and research grants, an annual prize for graduate students, and performances and symposia.
The Society is named after Edmond Malone, born in Dublin in 1741, a great editor, textual scholar and theatre historian, whose work continues to shape studies in early drama. 

Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts

This week we conclude (for now) our Thyestes journey, with a mix of the post-show discussion.
With Helen Good, Tudor historian, and cast member Simon Nader Mirza - hosted by Robert Crighton

Live show technical Manager – Valentina Vinci
Produced by Robert Crighton

CW: torture, violence, references to sexual violence, injury detail, murder, infanticide, cannibalism, discussion of Catholic persecution.

Our patrons received the rough mix of this episode in November 2025 - over 10 months early!

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 if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at [email protected], follow us on social media @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ
The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

About our sponsors - the Malone Society. The Society was founded in 1906 at the initiative of A.W. Pollard, and for over a century they have published (almost) every year edited volumes of early printed and manuscript texts of both well-known and neglected plays. They also publish collections of documentary material relating to the performance and reception of early drama. Their best-known publications include W.W. Greg’s edition of Sir Thomas More, a collaborative history play, and A.C. Dunstan’s edition of the earliest surviving original play in English to have been written by a woman, Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam.
Their membership is international and open to anyone interested in early drama. Members receive their annual volumes and are able to buy books from their backlist at low prices.
In addition to their publications, they support scholarship of early drama through fellowships and research grants, an annual prize for graduate students, and performances and symposia.
The Society is named after Edmond Malone, born in Dublin in 1741, a great editor, textual scholar and theatre historian, whose work continues to shape studies in early drama.

Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts

This week we continue our Thyestes journey, with a mix of the live show. Next week we will drop our post-show discussion. 

Thyestes by Seneca, translated by Jasper Heywood
Recorded live on Thursday 23rd October 2025 at 7.30pm

Brian Eastty - Chorus leader
Pamela Flanagan - Megaera and Messenger
Karim Kronfli - Atreus
Sophie Lawlor – Philisthenes and Chorus
Shamiso Mushambi - Atreus’ Servant and Chorus
Simon Nader Mirza – Thyestes
Valentina Vinci – Tantalus and Chorus

Live show technical Manager – Valentina Vinci
Continuity – Dennis Caouki
Company Text Coach – Liza Graham
Produced by Robert Crighton

CW: torture, violence, references to sexual violence, injury detail, murder, infanticide, cannibalism.

Our patrons received the rough mix of this episode in November 2025 - over 10 months early!

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 if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at [email protected], follow us on social media @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ
The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

About our sponsors - the Malone Society. The Society was founded in 1906 at the initiative of A.W. Pollard, and for over a century they have published (almost) every year edited volumes of early printed and manuscript texts of both well-known and neglected plays. They also publish collections of documentary material relating to the performance and reception of early drama. Their best-known publications include W.W. Greg’s edition of Sir Thomas More, a collaborative history play, and A.C. Dunstan’s edition of the earliest surviving original play in English to have been written by a woman, Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam.
Their membership is international and open to anyone interested in early drama. Members receive their annual volumes and are able to buy books from their backlist at low prices.
In addition to their publications, they support scholarship of early drama through fellowships and research grants, an annual prize for graduate students, and performances and symposia.
The Society is named after Edmond Malone, born in Dublin in 1741, a great editor, textual scholar and theatre historian, whose work continues to shape studies in early drama. 

Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts

This is a chat about Thyestes with Dr Harriet Archer, who we had hoped would be with us on the recording day at the Wyrd Revels for the post-show discussion, but stuff happens, so we picked the thread up now for the final edit on the podcast. As a discussion of the play, content warnings for mentions of violence, sexual violence, and cannibalism. Though we keep our chat fairly PG.
The full live recording and post show discussion will follow very soon.
Audio editing by Dennis Caouki

Our patrons received this episode a month early!
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 if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at [email protected], follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ
The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

About our sponsors - the Malone Society. The Society was founded in 1906 at the initiative of A.W. Pollard, and for over a century they have published (almost) every year edited volumes of early printed and manuscript texts of both well-known and neglected plays. They also publish collections of documentary material relating to the performance and reception of early drama. Their best-known publications include W.W. Greg’s edition of Sir Thomas More, a collaborative history play, and A.C. Dunstan’s edition of the earliest surviving original play in English to have been written by a woman, Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam.
Their membership is international and open to anyone interested in early drama. Members receive their annual volumes and are able to buy books from their backlist at low prices.
In addition to their publications, they support scholarship of early drama through fellowships and research grants, an annual prize for graduate students, and performances and symposia.
The Society is named after Edmond Malone, born in Dublin in 1741, a great editor, textual scholar and theatre historian, whose work continues to shape studies in early drama.

Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts

This week we have a short fragment from the early 17th century - A play generally labelled as Two Thieves and a Gullible Tapster - but you can make up your own.
A young tapster is hoodwinked by two reprobates into telling them of a traveller with gold worth nicking, and also talks him into giving them drinks on tick. They do this via pretty effective social ploys of making him feel like he’s one of them, peer pressures him into trying tobacco and generally making him feel like one of the in crowd. 
You can have a look at the text at the Lost Plays Database.
With Liza Graham as the Tapster, Ailbhe Casey as Reprobate One and Roel Fox as Reprobate the other one.

Our patrons received this episode in July 2026 - over a month early!
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 if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at [email protected], follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ
The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

About our sponsors - the Malone Society. The Society was founded in 1906 at the initiative of A.W. Pollard, and for over a century they have published (almost) every year edited volumes of early printed and manuscript texts of both well-known and neglected plays. They also publish collections of documentary material relating to the performance and reception of early drama. Their best-known publications include W.W. Greg’s edition of Sir Thomas More, a collaborative history play, and A.C. Dunstan’s edition of the earliest surviving original play in English to have been written by a woman, Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam.
Their membership is international and open to anyone interested in early drama. Members receive their annual volumes and are able to buy books from their backlist at low prices.
In addition to their publications, they support scholarship of early drama through fellowships and research grants, an annual prize for graduate students, and performances and symposia.
The Society is named after Edmond Malone, born in Dublin in 1741, a great editor, textual scholar and theatre historian, whose work continues to shape studies in early drama.

Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts

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 chapter we will wander through the twists and turns of this story.

We continue the last section of the book - or: 
The third and last of Doctor Faustus his merry conceits, showing after what sort he practised Necromancy in the Courts of great Princes, and lastly of his fearful and pitiful end. 
 
Chapter Thirty: How Doctor Faustus in the sight of the Emperor, conjured a pair of Hart’s horns upon a Knights head that slept out at a casement. 

Our patrons also get an exploring session looking in detail at the text - join our chat here.

Thunder sfx thanks to zapsplat.com

Our patrons received this episode in February 2025 - 18 months early. They have also already received the next 19 chapters and exploring sessions!
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 if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at [email protected], follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ
The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

About our sponsors - the Malone Society. The Society was founded in 1906 at the initiative of A.W. Pollard, and for over a century they have published (almost) every year edited volumes of early printed and manuscript texts of both well-known and neglected plays. They also publish collections of documentary material relating to the performance and reception of early drama. Their best-known publications include W.W. Greg’s edition of Sir Thomas More, a collaborative history play, and A.C. Dunstan’s edition of the earliest surviving original play in English to have been written by a woman, Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam.
Their membership is international and open to anyone interested in early drama. Members receive their annual volumes and are able to buy books from their backlist at low prices.
In addition to their publications, they support scholarship of early drama through fellowships and research grants, an annual prize for graduate students, and performances and symposia.
The Society is named after Edmond Malone, born in Dublin in 1741, a great editor, textual scholar and theatre historian, whose work continues to shape studies in early drama. 

Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts

This week we have a chat with Stewart McGill about an upcoming production of The Massacre at Paris by Christopher Marlowe. Stewart is directing the play for Playbox Theatre in October, and we chat about what you might expect from this youth production.
Running 15th to 17th October 2026 at The Dream Factory in Warwick - Tickets and show info here.
Audio editing by Dennis Caouki

Our patrons received this episode a few weeks early. Normally it's a bit more than that, but show chats are more time precious.
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 if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at [email protected], follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ
The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

About our sponsors - the Malone Society. The Society was founded in 1906 at the initiative of A.W. Pollard, and for over a century they have published (almost) every year edited volumes of early printed and manuscript texts of both well-known and neglected plays. They also publish collections of documentary material relating to the performance and reception of early drama. Their best-known publications include W.W. Greg’s edition of Sir Thomas More, a collaborative history play, and A.C. Dunstan’s edition of the earliest surviving original play in English to have been written by a woman, Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam.
Their membership is international and open to anyone interested in early drama. Members receive their annual volumes and are able to buy books from their backlist at low prices.
In addition to their publications, they support scholarship of early drama through fellowships and research grants, an annual prize for graduate students, and performances and symposia.
The Society is named after Edmond Malone, born in Dublin in 1741, a great editor, textual scholar and theatre historian, whose work continues to shape studies in early drama.

 Beyond is sponsored by The Malone Society: The permanent utility of original texts

The Wise-woman of Hogston by Thomas Heywood
Recorded live on Wednesday 22nd October 2025 at 7.30pm

Aliki Chapple - Luce's Father
Tobias Deacon – Taber
Brian Eastty - Old Chartley
Pamela Flanagan - Wise-woman
Roel Fox – Haringfield
Aisling Groves-McKeown - Luce / A Kitchen maid
Liza Graham - Sir Boniface
Keith Hill - Sir Harry
Alex Kapila – A Woman / Gratiana
Alexandra Kataigida – Chartley
Emma Kemp - Second Luce (Jack)
Nat Kennedy - Joseph
Oliver Maynard - Senser
Kit McGuire - Boyster
Simon Nader Mirza – A Countryman / A Serving-man / Giles
Music by Roel Fox
Live show technical Manager – Valentina Vinci
Continuity – Dennis Caouki
Company Text Coach – Liza Graham
Produced by Robert Crighton 

Our patrons received the rough mix of this episode in November 2025 - about 10 months early!

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 if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at [email protected], follow us on social media @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ
The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

About our sponsors - the Malone Society. The Society was founded in 1906 at the initiative of A.W. Pollard, and for over a century they have published (almost) every year edited volumes of early printed and manuscript texts of both well-known and neglected plays. They also publish collections of documentary material relating to the performance and reception of early drama. Their best-known publications include W.W. Greg’s edition of Sir Thomas More, a collaborative history play, and A.C. Dunstan’s edition of the earliest surviving original play in English to have been written by a woman, Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam.
Their membership is international and open to anyone interested in early drama. Members receive their annual volumes and are able to buy books from their backlist at low prices.
In addition to their publications, they support scholarship of early drama through fellowships and research grants, an annual prize for graduate students, and performances and symposia.
The Society is named after Edmond Malone, born in Dublin in 1741, a great editor, textual scholar and theatre historian, whose work continues to shape studies in early drama.