The Stage Clown in Shakespeare's Theatre
Series: Contributions in Drama and Theatre Studies
By Bente Videbaek
0-313-29872-6/978-0-313-29872-1
Description
The majority of Shakespeare's plays have at least one clown figure making an appearance. These characters range from rogues who say only a line or two, to important figures like Touchstone and Falstaff. Videbaek examines even the smallest clown roles, showing how the clown's freedom of speech allows him to become a mediator between the audience and the action of the play, helping audience interpretation. This illuminating celebration of the stage clown's contribution to the understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare's plays will be a valuable resource for both students and scholars alike.
Reviews:
-
Her painstaking analysis of each clown's passage through it's play is commendable...the breadth and scope of her undertaking makes her book a valuable contribution to the field
—New England Theatre Journal
Endorsement From J.L. Styan, Franklin Bliss Snyder Professor Emeritus of English Literature and Theatre, Northwestern University
Dr. Videbaek's book on the clown's role in Shakespeare is a highly original and illuminating account of the contributions to the plays of the resident comics in Shakespeare's company. The approach in this study is far from being narrowly literary or historical, but displays an excellent sense of theatre, and of the Elizabethan theatre in particular, treating Shakespeare's playwriting as a full performance art. The book is gratifyingly written, very much in the current mode of `performance criticism.' I know of no study of the Elizabethan clown that senses so sensitively and richly his function in performance on the stage.
Name:
Organisation:
Address:
Postcode:
Country:
Tel:
Email:
Signature:
Date:
Cheque enclosed £ _________________________
(make cheques payable to Harcourt Education)
Charge credit card:
VISA
Mastercard
American Express
Switch Issue Number _________________________
Card Number:
Expiry Date:
ISBN
Title
£ Price
Qty
£ Total
0-313-29872-6
978-0-313-29872-1
The Stage Clown in Shakespeare's Theatre
£47.95
Postage: Free to the UK trade. UK £3. Europe* £6. ROW* £10.
*Overseas by airmail, please request quotation for alternative such as courier.
Postage and Packing
Total
Post to:
Marston Book Services Ltd
160 Milton Park, Abingdon OX14 4SD, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1235 465500
Fax: +44 (0)1235 465555
E-mail:
enquiries@marston.co.uk