Shakespeare's Authentic Performance Texts

There is an assumption that when we reach for a copy of a Shakespeare play what we have in our hands is a record of his writing. It isn't. Present day printings are an Editor's (often subjective) version of the script. Around 25% of any Shakespeare play will have been altered by modern Editors and this creates an enormous amount of confusion. The only authentic edition of Shakespeare's works is the First Folio, published by his friends and colleagues in 1623. Graham Watts makes the case for staging and printing the plays as set in the Folio. This edition preserved acting indicators that helped Shakespeare's Players to understand and perform a role.

As well as a critique on the practices of modern Editors, Watts includes sections on analyzing and acting the text, how a complex character can be created by using the First Folio, a director's approach to rehearsing a Shakespeare play with various exercises useful for both professional and student actors, and a conclusion where all of the findings are applied to one play.