One of the greatest mysteries about the life of William Shakespeare is where, precisely did the bard first encounter theater. Was it the roving theater companies which speckled the countryside with their pop up performances for which Shakespeare’s father was the town alderman, and therefore would have had to approve the players when they appeared in Stratford? Or was it at Grammar School, where students used theater to learn their Latin, English, and transcription? Well, for many one of the most tantalizing suggestions about where Shakespeare first saw a large scale theater production was when he was just 11 years old. That year, in 1575, Robert Dudley used an elaborate theatrical display as part of his presentation to Elizabeth I where he tried to woo, and propose to the queen. Though his efforts ultimately proved in vain, the fact that many of the features of the performance that day show up in Shakespeare’s plays later in life, lead many historians to speculate that the Shakespeare family, and young William in particular, just might have made the relatively short journey from Stratford to Kenilworth Castle, being drawn in by the promise of a grand display and the potential for a glimpse of the Queen. 

Here today to help us explore the story of Kenilworth Castle, Robert Dudley’s proposal, and how likely it might be for Shakespeare to have attended, is our guest, Philippa Brewell. Philippa visited with us for our very first episode of That Shakespeare Life and we are simply delighted to welcome her back to the show.