The main critical debate about Edward III has been the question of Shakespeare’s authorship. The play was first attributed to Shakespeare in a catalogue of plays from 1656 but it was not included in the first Folio of Shakespeare’s works (1623).

However, other plays that Shakespeare co-wrote were not included either, and there were practical, financial reasons why it was omitted. In 1760, Edward Capell suggested that Shakespeare’s authorship was ‘conjecture only, and matter of opinion; and the reader must form one of his [their] own guided by what is now before him [them]’

As spectators, the audience is part of this ongoing debate, and must be guided by what is before them in the performance. You might notice strong similarities to Shakespeare’s Henry V; or recognise lines or imagery that occur in Shakespeare’s sonnets and later plays.

The film of our 2023 performance of Edward III by Shakespeare was staged in the Courtyard of Lancaster Castle and is presented below:

Note: Best viewed in full-screen mode.