John Casson – författare

Shakspere's history plays are more than dramatized history lessons. They explore contemporary dangers inherent in royal succession at a time when Elizabeth I decreed that mere discussion of who would inherit the throne was treason. The plays were political and therefore dangerous. Yet William Shakspere from Stratford-upon-Avon was never arrested for his writing nor spent time in prison, unlike his fellow playwrights Marlowe, Kyd and Jonson.In 1601 Sir Henry Neville was imprisoned and "Shakespeare" stopped writing history plays. The identification of Neville as an authorship candidate, put forward by James and Rubinstein (2005), urges reinterpretation of the plays. Neville enjoyed privileged access to the Holinshed Chronicles (1587), a primary source for the plays. He was ambassador to France and spoke French (see Henry V), knew the descendants of Jack Cade (Henry VI Part 2), was familiar with Crosby Place (Richard III) and lived in Blackfriars (Henry VIII).This book reveals new evidence of Neville's authorship, with examples of annotation found in books from Neville's library suggesting they were source material for the plays. Numerous anomalies in the plays indicate Shakespeare's consistent bias in portraying the Nevilles in a positive light, revealing the hidden author's political viewpoint and true identity.

Who wrote the works of Shakespeare? Revealing newly discovered evidence, John Casson and William D. Rubinstein definitively answer this question, presenting the case that the man from Stratford simply did not have the education, cultural background and breadth of life experience necessary for him to write the plays traditionally attributed to him.Instead, the most credible candidate is Sir Henry Neville, who certainly did have all the necessary qualifications. A colourful Renaissance man educated at Merton College, Oxford, Neville's life experience precisely matches that revealed in the plays.Casson and Rubinstein take us on a breath-taking journey of discovery through the development of Shakespeare’s plays and poetry, compellingly drawing close parallels between the works and events in Neville’s life. They reveal how Neville’s annotated library books, manuscripts, notebooks and letters show he was the hidden author, who survived dangerous political times by keeping his authorship secret. The book contains a great deal of remarkable new evidence, expertly presented, that will challenge anyone's ideas about who really wrote the Shakespeare plays.

John Casson - Winner of the British Psychodrama Association (BPA) Lifetime Achievement Award 2012!Drama, Psychotherapy and Psychosis explores the use of drama and theatre in the challenging area of working with people who hear voices, focusing especially on survivors of abuse and those diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia. In examining the often baffling and frightening world of psychosis the book offers alternative models of madness and the self, which form the basis for therapeutic interventions. Illustrated by case histories and examples of practice, this book provides a description and analysis of voice hearing. Chapters cover areas including:* historical perspectives on psychosis and hearing voices * group psychodrama * dramatherapy with individuals.Drama, Psychotherapy and Psychosis demonstrates how creative action methods can be helpful to those who hear voices. It provides guidelines for good practice; essential to all those interested in promoting the safe use of these methods in therapy.

John Casson - Winner of the British Psychodrama Association (BPA) Lifetime Achievement Award 2012!Drama, Psychotherapy and Psychosis explores the use of drama and theatre in the challenging area of working with people who hear voices, focusing especially on survivors of abuse and those diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia. In examining the often baffling and frightening world of psychosis the book offers alternative models of madness and the self, which form the basis for therapeutic interventions. Illustrated by case histories and examples of practice, this book provides a description and analysis of voice hearing. Chapters cover areas including:* historical perspectives on psychosis and hearing voices * group psychodrama * dramatherapy with individuals.Drama, Psychotherapy and Psychosis demonstrates how creative action methods can be helpful to those who hear voices. It provides guidelines for good practice; essential to all those interested in promoting the safe use of these methods in therapy.