Ballad Business

Tiffany Stern, FBA, is Professor of Shakespeare at The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham. Her previous books include Rehearsal from Shakespeare to Sheridan (2000), Making Shakespeare (2004), Shakespeare in Parts (with Simon Palfrey, 2007), Documents of Performance in Early Modern England (2009) and Shakespeare, Malone and the Problems of Chronology (2023). She is general editor of Norton Anthology of Sixteenth Century Literature, and Arden Shakespeare Fourth Series.

'For anyone who thinks that merchandising and fanfictions are a recent development, Tiffany Stern's remarkable book will show that they were part of the business of theatre and the business of ballad-mongering in Shakespeare's London. Stern brilliantly explores how the two trades – making theatre and selling ballads – collaborated as she explores ballads before, during and after play performances. She transforms our sense of the playhouse culture of Early Modern London and our view of playgoing will never be the same again.' Peter Holland, McMeel Family Professor in Shakespeare Studies, University of NotreDame

• Introduction; 1. Balladmongers; 2. Publishing and writing ballads; 3. In-play ballads and more: Shakespeare; 4. In-play ballads: Ben Jonson; 5. After-play ballads: Jigs and more; 6. About-play ballads: Marlowe and others; 7. About-play ballads: Shakespeare; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.