Overview
In their own distinctive manner, each of the
four actors discussed in this volume have had a profound and innovative
influence on the methods of Shakespearean performance, and thus on the
appreciation and interpretation of his plays. Their careers encompass
almost a century of theatrical experience, from John Gielgud's childhood
before the First World War to Judi Dench's performances in the first
decades of the new millennium. The volume affords invaluable insights
into changing approaches to the actor's craft, the aims and methods of
the theatre, the institutions presenting productions and, above all, to
Shakespeare's plays themselves.