Why do we continue to read and perform Shakespeare’s works around the world today? How were his plays performed and printed 400 years ago, and how has our conception of Shakespeare changed over the centuries? 

The British Library has partnered with King’s College London and Shakespeare’s Globe to explore how Shakespeare’s works continue to delight audiences around the world through this free online course presented by FutureLearn. Join academics Dr Sarah Lewis and Professor Gordon McMullan, curators, publishers, actors, musicians and theatre directors, to find out more about Shakespeare’s world and to explore his status a global icon today.

This online course will take you on stage at the Globe Theatre, to find out about performance practices both in the present day capital and in Early Modern London. Meet practitioners at the Globe and step into the world of the early modern actor to examine the processes and conditions that were at the heart of the Shakespearean playhouse.

Explore some of the priceless manuscripts and early printed texts safeguarded at the British Library and discover how the early modern book trade shaped the journey of Shakespeare’s text from stage to page.

By joining Shakespeare: Print and Performance, you will become part of a diverse international learning community, and together we will draw on everyone’s experiences of Shakespeare to enrich our discussion.

Further information about the course.

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