Propaganda
An epic drama about Shakespeare and the Earl of Essex
“Hugely engaging and enjoyable... full of wit and energy”
Dominic Dromgoole, Shakespeare’s Globe
Dominic Dromgoole, Shakespeare’s Globe
On 7th February 1601, at the Globe Theatre, London, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men gave a performance of Richard II, penned by their very own William Shakespeare and dealing with the dethronement in 1399 of the eponymous king by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke.
The performance was a special commission, and, by all accounts, a commission the LCM had been reluctant to accept. It was an old play, they’d argued, and thus unlikely to draw a large new crowd. Perhaps more likely, though, their reluctance was driven by the controversial nature of the piece. Even at the best of times, the removal and murder of a monarch would represent chancey material – but these were by no means the best of times. At this late point in her reign, the aged and ailing queen, Elizabeth I, was inspiring ever more frantic speculation about who was to succeed her on the throne. Furthermore, the people so keenly seeking to commission this performance of Richard II were followers of the Earl of Essex, the one-time royal favourite who of late had become a magnet for people discontented with the prevailing regime.
Despite these concerns, the performance went ahead; but even as the actors were pounding the boards at the Globe, Essex and his admirers were putting the finishing touches to plans for their coup d’état...
Inspired by these few known facts, Propaganda imagines the circumstances leading up to and beyond that fateful performance. At the heart of the piece stands Shakespeare himself, desperately trying to keep his head while all about seem bent on losing theirs. Keenly aware of the politics behind the commission, he finds himself under pressure from all sides: from a company of hungry actors; from an increasingly erratic Essex violently determined to have his propaganda piece; and above all from the all-knowing Robert Cecil, principal secretary to the Queen and principal enemy to the Earl.
The performance was a special commission, and, by all accounts, a commission the LCM had been reluctant to accept. It was an old play, they’d argued, and thus unlikely to draw a large new crowd. Perhaps more likely, though, their reluctance was driven by the controversial nature of the piece. Even at the best of times, the removal and murder of a monarch would represent chancey material – but these were by no means the best of times. At this late point in her reign, the aged and ailing queen, Elizabeth I, was inspiring ever more frantic speculation about who was to succeed her on the throne. Furthermore, the people so keenly seeking to commission this performance of Richard II were followers of the Earl of Essex, the one-time royal favourite who of late had become a magnet for people discontented with the prevailing regime.
Despite these concerns, the performance went ahead; but even as the actors were pounding the boards at the Globe, Essex and his admirers were putting the finishing touches to plans for their coup d’état...
Inspired by these few known facts, Propaganda imagines the circumstances leading up to and beyond that fateful performance. At the heart of the piece stands Shakespeare himself, desperately trying to keep his head while all about seem bent on losing theirs. Keenly aware of the politics behind the commission, he finds himself under pressure from all sides: from a company of hungry actors; from an increasingly erratic Essex violently determined to have his propaganda piece; and above all from the all-knowing Robert Cecil, principal secretary to the Queen and principal enemy to the Earl.
“Propaganda is a fascinating piece of work – it’s such a ripping yarn and tells us so much about the underbelly of Elizabethan politics.”
John Bell, Bell Shakespeare Company, Australia
John Bell, Bell Shakespeare Company, Australia
