In what ways did playwrights like Shakespeare respond to the two urban locations of the Globe and the Blackfriars? What was the effect of their different acoustic and visual experiences on actors and audiences? What did the labels 'public' for the Globe and 'private' for the Blackfriars, actually mean in practice? Sarah Dustagheer offers the first in-depth, comparative analysis of the performance conditions of the two sites. This engaging study examines how the social, urban, sensory and historical characteristics of these playhouses affected dramatists, audiences and actors. Each chapter provides new interpretations of seminal King's Men's works written as the company began to perform in both settings, including The Alchemist, The Tempest and Henry VIII.  Presenting a rich and compelling account of the two early modern theatres, the book also suggests fresh insights into recent contemporary productions at Shakespeare's Globe, London and the new Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

Shakespeare in London offers a lively and engaging new reading of some of Shakespeare’s major work, informed by close attention to the language of his drama. The focus of the book is on Shakespeare’s London, how it influenced his drama and how he represents it on stage. Taking readers on an imaginative journey through the city, the book moves both chronologically, from beginning to end of Shakespeare’s dramatic career, and also geographically, traversing London from west to east. Each chapter focuses on one play and one key location, drawing out the thematic connections between that place and the drama it underwrites. Plays discussed in detail include Hamlet, Measure for Measure, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, King Lear and Romeo and Juliet. Close textual readings accompany the wealth of contextual material, providing a fresh and exciting way into Shakespeare’s work.

The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, an archetype of a Jacobean indoor playhouse, opened next to Shakespeare's Globe on London's South Bank in January 2014. Just as the Globe's opening in 1997 was the source of expectancy and intrigue for the theatre and academic community so the opening of this new venue raises some important questions, which this article seeks to examine through four points of anticipation, or possible areas of theatre practice at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse: lighting, music, actor/audience dynamic and unexpected outcomes. This article discusses some of the first productions and trends that may shape the future debate about the theatre.

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