Cymbeline

From the Royal Shakespeare Company a modern, definitive edition of Shakespeare s magical late play. With an expert introduction by Sir Jonathan Bate, this unique edition presents a historical overview of Cymbeline in performance, takes a detailed look at specific productions, and recommends film versions. Included in this edition are interviews with two leading directors Dominic Cooke and Emma Rice providing an illuminating insight into the extraordinary variety of interpretations that are possible. This edition also includes an essay on Shakespeare s career and Elizabethan theatre, and enables the reader to understand the play as it was originally intended as living theatre to be enjoyed and performed.

Ideal for students, theatre-goers, actors and general readers, the RSC Shakespeare editions offer a fresh, accessible and contemporary approach to reading and rediscovering Shakespeare s works for the twenty-first century.

Introduction.- About the Text.- Key Facts.- The Tragedy of Cymbeline.- Textual Notes.- Scene-by-scene Analysis.- Cymbeline in Performance: The RSC and Beyond.- Four Centuries of Cymbeline: An Overview.- At the RSC.- The Director's Cut: interviews with Dominic Cooke and Emma Rice.- Shakespeare's Career in the Theatre.- Shakespeare's Works: A Chronology.- The History Behind the Tragedies: A Chronology.- Further Reading and Viewing.- References.- Acknowledgements and Picture Credits