Complemented by photographs of individual productions, Mr David's book comprises studies of major English productions of Shakespeare during the 1970s, often detailing how radically some performances have altered in the course of a run. His first concern has been to record, as accurately and comprehensively as possible, those moments in actual performance that have seemed most strikingly to recreate or impair the dramatic effects intended by Shakespeare. Mr David also draws wider conclusions about Shakespeare's art and the art of the theatre in general. He attempts to answer such questions as: what are the main trends and priorities in contemporary Shakespearean production? What conditions are imposed on plays by the nature of theatre and the art of acting? How is performance moulded by dramatic form? What special problems affect the 'translation', for modern spectators, of a classical play written in accordance with forgotten conventions? This book fuses academic and practical approaches to drama.
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