Shakespeare did not collect his plays together for publication. They were the property of the theatre companies in which he worked as a writer, actor and shareholder (it was two fellow members of the company, Heminge and Condell that collected them to publish in 1623).

Although he was a fine poet (as in The Sonnets), Shakespeare was primarily a playwright – a craftsman working collaboratively in the theatre. This part of the website shows examples of what we can learn collaboratively by putting the texts into performance.

Shakespeare’s plays were performed in a range of playing spaces in addition to the Globe Theatre. In London, these included indoor venues: the Inns of Court (where lawyers were trained), the royal court, and from 1608 the indoor Blackfriars Theatre. Beyond London, companies also toured, performing in halls and great houses (like the women’s drama illustrated in the ‘Shakespeare’s Sisters’ pages).

Flexibility with text and use of space was essential to meet the needs of these different venues and audiences. Our contemporary site-specific performances of Shakespeare illustrate what new meanings can be illuminated by historic venues.