Details

Read Not Dead was launched in 1995 and brings actors, audiences and scholars together to explore and celebrate the plays performed in London and on its stages before 1642. The ground-rules are simple. Actors are given a script on a Sunday morning and work with a director to get the play up on its feet - with entrances and exits, token costume and music if needed. They present it, script in hand, to an audience at 16:00. These are not intended to be polished productions. However, there is a shared spirit of adventure and excitement for actors and audiences who sense that they might be uncovering a hidden gem. Shakespeare in German. Chapman’s name was often used to promote other writers’ works and this may be one such case. Whoever wrote it did not let historical accuracy get in the way of a good plot - here the story of a ruthless emperor who never learned to share. Although not published until 1654, the play dates from the 1590s. Some scenes in Henry V suggest that Shakespeare knew this play.

Creatives/Company

Author: George Chapman (1654)