Lives of Shakespearian Actors – serie

During the eighteenth century, theatrical writing developed as a genre. The publishing market responded to a seemingly insatiable appetite for accounts of the personalities, social lives and performances of celebrated entertainers. This series features actors who were significant in their development of new ways of performing Shakespeare.

Focuses on David Garrick and the leading actors of his company at Drury Lane. This book tells how, in their time, Garrick, Macklin and Woffington were as famous for their achievements on the stage as they were infamous for their activities off it. It draws a selection of the actors' own words with those of their contemporaries and critics.

Features three female actors who were significant in their development of new and innovative ways of performing Shakespeare.

Extracts from diaries, memoirs, private letters, obituaries and other rare ephemera are drawn together to build a contemporary account of the acting achievements and personal lives of three inspiring figures from the late nineteenth-century theatre; Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Henry Irving and Ellen Terry.