Printing the plays of Shakespeare - David McInnis

‘Printing the plays of Shakespeare & co in the 17th Century' The Shakespeare First Folio of 1623 is one of the most famous books in the world. In this talk, Prof. David McInnis explores how Shakespeare and fellow dramatists wrote their plays, tracing the textual evolution from authors’ hands to playhouses and eventually the printers. This period features a fascinating array of experimental approaches to translating the success of ephemeral performance to the printed page. Understanding how the plays of Shakespeare’s day were transmitted to us in the present is a vital aspect if we are to appreciate their meaning and significance now.

David McInnis is Professor of Shakespeare and Early Modern Drama at the University of Melbourne. He is Editor of Shakespeare Quarterly and is currently completing a new edition of Timon of Athens for the Arden Shakespeare’s 4th series.

Free for members and non-members
Doors 6.40pm
Talk 7pm