Adrian Woodhouse is a journalist and author

‘Photographer Angus McBean produced glorious portraits of vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn, Margaret Lockwood, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson and many other iconic actors. Mixing stylised romanticism with surrealism, he created imaginative, playful images where dramatic lighting merged with multiple exposure. Woodhouse’s gorgeous book brings together his photographs of every Shakespeare play – 160 productions in all, 90 of them at Stratford’s Memorial Theatre. It demonstrates how his training in mask making and fascination with the dismembered iconography of surrealism combined with careful sculpting with light and shade to offer a unique approach to photographic montage. The result is a study of illusion and poise, of changing modes of production and acting style, and of how our readings of the Bard are framed by those who have photographed his work into posterity.’ Maria Delgado, University of London, Times Higher Education (May 2019)

• IntroductionThe Plays: All's Well That Ends Well: 1955 (Michael Denison & Joyce Redman); 1959 (Edith Evans & ZoeCaldwell)Antony and Cleopatra: 1945 (Claire Luce); 1953 (Peggy Ashcroft & Michael Redgrave)As You Like It: 1946 (Paul Scofield); 1952 (Margaret Leighton & Laurence Harvey); 1957 (RichardJohnson & Peggy Ashcroft); 1961 (Vanessa Redgrave & lan Bannen)The Comedy of Errors: 1957 (Old Vic, Keith Michell)Coriolanus: 1952 (Anthony Quayle & Mary Ellis); 1959 (Laurence Olivier & Edith Evans)Cymbeline: 1949 (Leon Quartermaine); 1957 (Ashcroft & Johnson)Hamlet: 1948 (Scofield/Rebert Helpman & Claire Bloom); 1956 (Alan Badel); 1958 (MichaelRedgrave); 1961 (lan Bannen)Henry IV part l: 1951 (Richard Burton, Quayle & M Redgrave); 1953 (Barbara Jefford)Henry IV part 2: 1951 (Burton & Harry Andrews)Henry V: 1946 (Scofield); 1951 (Burton)Henry VI parts 1, 2, 3: 1957/8 (Old Vic, Paul Denman & Jefford)Henry VIII: 1949 (Quayle & Diana Wynyard); 1950 (Quayle & Gwen Frangcon Davies [&RosannaQuayle as Mary Tudor for the royal gala])Julius Caesar: 1950 (John Gielgud); 1957 (Johnson & Alec Clunes)King John: 1948 (Helpman, Bloom & Quayle); 1957 (Robert Harris & Clunes)King Lear: 1950 (Gielgud); 1953 (M Redgrave); 1959 (Charles Laughton); 1962 (Paul Scofield)Love's Labour's Lost: 1946 (Scofield & Valerie Taylor); 1956 (Badel & Geraldine McEwan)Macbeth: 1946 (Harris & Taylor); 1949 (Godfrey Tearle & Wynyard); 1952 (Ralph Richardson &Leighton); 1955 (Olivier & Vivien Leigh)Measure for Measure: 1946 (Harris & Ruth Lodge); 1950 (Gielgud, Wynyard & Badel); 1956 (EmlynWilliams & Diana Churchill)The Merchant of Venice: 1946 (Laurence Payne & Beatrix Lehman); 1949 (Helpman & Wynyard);1953 (M Redgrave & Ashcroft); 1956 (Williams & Margaret Johnston); 1961 (Denholm Elliot &Dorothy Tutin)The Merry Wives of Windsor: 1955 (Quayle, Angela Baddeley & Redman)A Midsummer Night's Dream: 1949 (Wynyard, Andrews & John Slater); 1954 (Quayle & Jefford);1959 (Laughton & Mary Ure)Much Ado About Nothing: 1949 (Quayle & Wynyard); 1950 & 1955 (Gielgud & Ashcroft); 1958 (MRedgrave & Googie Withers)Othello: 1949 (Tearle & Wynyard); 1953 (Quayle & Jefford); 1956 (Andrews, Williams & Johnston);1959 (Paul Robeson & Ure)Pericles: 1947 (Scofield); 1968 (Richard Johnson)Richard II: 1946 (Harris & Lehman); 1951 (M Redgrave & Heather Stannard)Richard Ill: 1953 (Marius Goring & Yvonne Mitchell); 1961 (Christopher Plummer & Evans)Romeo and Juliet: 1947 (Scofield and Lehman); 1954 (Laurence Harvey & Zena Walker); 1958(Johnson & Tutin); 1961 (Brian Murray &Tutin)The Taming of the Shrew: 1948 (Quayle & Wynyard); 1953 (Goring & Mitchell); 1954 (Keith Michell& Jefford); 1960 (Peter O'Toole & Ashcroft)Tempest: 1951 (M Redgrave, Badel & Burton); 1952 ( Richardson & Leighton); 1957 (Gielgud, Clunes& Johnson)Timon of Athens: 1956 (Old Vic- Ralph Richardson)Titus Andronicus: 1955 (Olivier & Leigh)Troilus and Cresslda: 1948 (Scofield & StannardO;) 1954 ( Harvey & Muriel Pavlov); 1960 (Tutin &Denholm Elliot)Twelfth Night: 1947 (Scofield & Lehman); 1955 (Olivier & Leigh); 1958 (Johnson & Tutin); 1961 (lanHolm & Tutin)The TwoGentlemen of Verona: 1960 (Patrick Wymark & Elliot)The Winter's Tale: 1948 (Esmond Knight, Wynyard & Scofield); 1960 (Eric Porter & Ashcroft)

Adrian Woodhouse is a journalist and author

‘Photographer Angus McBean produced glorious portraits of vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn, Margaret Lockwood, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson and many other iconic actors. Mixing stylised romanticism with surrealism, he created imaginative, playful images where dramatic lighting merged with multiple exposure. Woodhouse’s gorgeous book brings together his photographs of every Shakespeare play – 160 productions in all, 90 of them at Stratford’s Memorial Theatre. It demonstrates how his training in mask making and fascination with the dismembered iconography of surrealism combined with careful sculpting with light and shade to offer a unique approach to photographic montage. The result is a study of illusion and poise, of changing modes of production and acting style, and of how our readings of the Bard are framed by those who have photographed his work into posterity.’ Maria Delgado, University of London, Times Higher Education (May 2019)

• IntroductionThe Plays: All's Well That Ends Well: 1955 (Michael Denison & Joyce Redman); 1959 (Edith Evans & ZoeCaldwell)Antony and Cleopatra: 1945 (Claire Luce); 1953 (Peggy Ashcroft & Michael Redgrave)As You Like It: 1946 (Paul Scofield); 1952 (Margaret Leighton & Laurence Harvey); 1957 (RichardJohnson & Peggy Ashcroft); 1961 (Vanessa Redgrave & lan Bannen)The Comedy of Errors: 1957 (Old Vic, Keith Michell)Coriolanus: 1952 (Anthony Quayle & Mary Ellis); 1959 (Laurence Olivier & Edith Evans)Cymbeline: 1949 (Leon Quartermaine); 1957 (Ashcroft & Johnson)Hamlet: 1948 (Scofield/Rebert Helpman & Claire Bloom); 1956 (Alan Badel); 1958 (MichaelRedgrave); 1961 (lan Bannen)Henry IV part l: 1951 (Richard Burton, Quayle & M Redgrave); 1953 (Barbara Jefford)Henry IV part 2: 1951 (Burton & Harry Andrews)Henry V: 1946 (Scofield); 1951 (Burton)Henry VI parts 1, 2, 3: 1957/8 (Old Vic, Paul Denman & Jefford)Henry VIII: 1949 (Quayle & Diana Wynyard); 1950 (Quayle & Gwen Frangcon Davies [&RosannaQuayle as Mary Tudor for the royal gala])Julius Caesar: 1950 (John Gielgud); 1957 (Johnson & Alec Clunes)King John: 1948 (Helpman, Bloom & Quayle); 1957 (Robert Harris & Clunes)King Lear: 1950 (Gielgud); 1953 (M Redgrave); 1959 (Charles Laughton); 1962 (Paul Scofield)Love's Labour's Lost: 1946 (Scofield & Valerie Taylor); 1956 (Badel & Geraldine McEwan)Macbeth: 1946 (Harris & Taylor); 1949 (Godfrey Tearle & Wynyard); 1952 (Ralph Richardson &Leighton); 1955 (Olivier & Vivien Leigh)Measure for Measure: 1946 (Harris & Ruth Lodge); 1950 (Gielgud, Wynyard & Badel); 1956 (EmlynWilliams & Diana Churchill)The Merchant of Venice: 1946 (Laurence Payne & Beatrix Lehman); 1949 (Helpman & Wynyard);1953 (M Redgrave & Ashcroft); 1956 (Williams & Margaret Johnston); 1961 (Denholm Elliot &Dorothy Tutin)The Merry Wives of Windsor: 1955 (Quayle, Angela Baddeley & Redman)A Midsummer Night's Dream: 1949 (Wynyard, Andrews & John Slater); 1954 (Quayle & Jefford);1959 (Laughton & Mary Ure)Much Ado About Nothing: 1949 (Quayle & Wynyard); 1950 & 1955 (Gielgud & Ashcroft); 1958 (MRedgrave & Googie Withers)Othello: 1949 (Tearle & Wynyard); 1953 (Quayle & Jefford); 1956 (Andrews, Williams & Johnston);1959 (Paul Robeson & Ure)Pericles: 1947 (Scofield); 1968 (Richard Johnson)Richard II: 1946 (Harris & Lehman); 1951 (M Redgrave & Heather Stannard)Richard Ill: 1953 (Marius Goring & Yvonne Mitchell); 1961 (Christopher Plummer & Evans)Romeo and Juliet: 1947 (Scofield and Lehman); 1954 (Laurence Harvey & Zena Walker); 1958(Johnson & Tutin); 1961 (Brian Murray &Tutin)The Taming of the Shrew: 1948 (Quayle & Wynyard); 1953 (Goring & Mitchell); 1954 (Keith Michell& Jefford); 1960 (Peter O'Toole & Ashcroft)Tempest: 1951 (M Redgrave, Badel & Burton); 1952 ( Richardson & Leighton); 1957 (Gielgud, Clunes& Johnson)Timon of Athens: 1956 (Old Vic- Ralph Richardson)Titus Andronicus: 1955 (Olivier & Leigh)Troilus and Cresslda: 1948 (Scofield & StannardO;) 1954 ( Harvey & Muriel Pavlov); 1960 (Tutin &Denholm Elliot)Twelfth Night: 1947 (Scofield & Lehman); 1955 (Olivier & Leigh); 1958 (Johnson & Tutin); 1961 (lanHolm & Tutin)The TwoGentlemen of Verona: 1960 (Patrick Wymark & Elliot)The Winter's Tale: 1948 (Esmond Knight, Wynyard & Scofield); 1960 (Eric Porter & Ashcroft)

Adrian Woodhouse is a journalist and author

‘Photographer Angus McBean produced glorious portraits of vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn, Margaret Lockwood, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson and many other iconic actors. Mixing stylised romanticism with surrealism, he created imaginative, playful images where dramatic lighting merged with multiple exposure. Woodhouse’s gorgeous book brings together his photographs of every Shakespeare play – 160 productions in all, 90 of them at Stratford’s Memorial Theatre. It demonstrates how his training in mask making and fascination with the dismembered iconography of surrealism combined with careful sculpting with light and shade to offer a unique approach to photographic montage. The result is a study of illusion and poise, of changing modes of production and acting style, and of how our readings of the Bard are framed by those who have photographed his work into posterity.’ Maria Delgado, University of London, Times Higher Education (May 2019)

• IntroductionThe Plays: All's Well That Ends Well: 1955 (Michael Denison & Joyce Redman); 1959 (Edith Evans & ZoeCaldwell)Antony and Cleopatra: 1945 (Claire Luce); 1953 (Peggy Ashcroft & Michael Redgrave)As You Like It: 1946 (Paul Scofield); 1952 (Margaret Leighton & Laurence Harvey); 1957 (RichardJohnson & Peggy Ashcroft); 1961 (Vanessa Redgrave & lan Bannen)The Comedy of Errors: 1957 (Old Vic, Keith Michell)Coriolanus: 1952 (Anthony Quayle & Mary Ellis); 1959 (Laurence Olivier & Edith Evans)Cymbeline: 1949 (Leon Quartermaine); 1957 (Ashcroft & Johnson)Hamlet: 1948 (Scofield/Rebert Helpman & Claire Bloom); 1956 (Alan Badel); 1958 (MichaelRedgrave); 1961 (lan Bannen)Henry IV part l: 1951 (Richard Burton, Quayle & M Redgrave); 1953 (Barbara Jefford)Henry IV part 2: 1951 (Burton & Harry Andrews)Henry V: 1946 (Scofield); 1951 (Burton)Henry VI parts 1, 2, 3: 1957/8 (Old Vic, Paul Denman & Jefford)Henry VIII: 1949 (Quayle & Diana Wynyard); 1950 (Quayle & Gwen Frangcon Davies [&RosannaQuayle as Mary Tudor for the royal gala])Julius Caesar: 1950 (John Gielgud); 1957 (Johnson & Alec Clunes)King John: 1948 (Helpman, Bloom & Quayle); 1957 (Robert Harris & Clunes)King Lear: 1950 (Gielgud); 1953 (M Redgrave); 1959 (Charles Laughton); 1962 (Paul Scofield)Love's Labour's Lost: 1946 (Scofield & Valerie Taylor); 1956 (Badel & Geraldine McEwan)Macbeth: 1946 (Harris & Taylor); 1949 (Godfrey Tearle & Wynyard); 1952 (Ralph Richardson &Leighton); 1955 (Olivier & Vivien Leigh)Measure for Measure: 1946 (Harris & Ruth Lodge); 1950 (Gielgud, Wynyard & Badel); 1956 (EmlynWilliams & Diana Churchill)The Merchant of Venice: 1946 (Laurence Payne & Beatrix Lehman); 1949 (Helpman & Wynyard);1953 (M Redgrave & Ashcroft); 1956 (Williams & Margaret Johnston); 1961 (Denholm Elliot &Dorothy Tutin)The Merry Wives of Windsor: 1955 (Quayle, Angela Baddeley & Redman)A Midsummer Night's Dream: 1949 (Wynyard, Andrews & John Slater); 1954 (Quayle & Jefford);1959 (Laughton & Mary Ure)Much Ado About Nothing: 1949 (Quayle & Wynyard); 1950 & 1955 (Gielgud & Ashcroft); 1958 (MRedgrave & Googie Withers)Othello: 1949 (Tearle & Wynyard); 1953 (Quayle & Jefford); 1956 (Andrews, Williams & Johnston);1959 (Paul Robeson & Ure)Pericles: 1947 (Scofield); 1968 (Richard Johnson)Richard II: 1946 (Harris & Lehman); 1951 (M Redgrave & Heather Stannard)Richard Ill: 1953 (Marius Goring & Yvonne Mitchell); 1961 (Christopher Plummer & Evans)Romeo and Juliet: 1947 (Scofield and Lehman); 1954 (Laurence Harvey & Zena Walker); 1958(Johnson & Tutin); 1961 (Brian Murray &Tutin)The Taming of the Shrew: 1948 (Quayle & Wynyard); 1953 (Goring & Mitchell); 1954 (Keith Michell& Jefford); 1960 (Peter O'Toole & Ashcroft)Tempest: 1951 (M Redgrave, Badel & Burton); 1952 ( Richardson & Leighton); 1957 (Gielgud, Clunes& Johnson)Timon of Athens: 1956 (Old Vic- Ralph Richardson)Titus Andronicus: 1955 (Olivier & Leigh)Troilus and Cresslda: 1948 (Scofield & StannardO;) 1954 ( Harvey & Muriel Pavlov); 1960 (Tutin &Denholm Elliot)Twelfth Night: 1947 (Scofield & Lehman); 1955 (Olivier & Leigh); 1958 (Johnson & Tutin); 1961 (lanHolm & Tutin)The TwoGentlemen of Verona: 1960 (Patrick Wymark & Elliot)The Winter's Tale: 1948 (Esmond Knight, Wynyard & Scofield); 1960 (Eric Porter & Ashcroft)