Although February is still a Marlowe Month on Chasqui’s Writing World,I am introducing a small departure for the first half by posting a review I recently wrote of a history book published by Pen and Sword last month. Written by Susan Margaret Cooper, whom you may know on Twitter as @SueCooperBridge, it revolves around Restoration theatre, focusing on two famous actresses of the time, and I am sure that, given the subject, Christopher Marlowe would not have objected to sharing his month with this superb book. It is available from high street and online booksellers and you can read my review below.
Chapter 9 from “The Muses’ Darling” should be posted on here towards the end of this month, but failing that in March. As always, many thanks for your interest in Chasqui’s Writing World.
The link below should enable you to listen to this review on Spotify:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/dashboard/episode/e2007m5
Actresses of the Restoration Period: Mrs Elizabeth Barry and Mrs Anne Bracegirdle
By Susan Margaret Cooper
A Compendium of Information on Restoration Theatre
From the Prologue to the final word, this book is filled with interesting, and often rare, information on the world of Restoration Theatre as it delves deeply into the lives of two well-regarded actresses of the era. Susan Margaret Cooper has researched this subject thoroughly and has uncovered a wealth of rare documents which she has transcribed. These include wills, letters and inventories, as well as extracts from scripts and poetry, all pertaining to the theatrical and literary world of the latter half of the 17th century. Added to these are the many images of documents, portraits, drawings and maps. Admittedly, not all facts are known, and this has been reflected within the book, and while this can be frustrating, it is also tantalising as perhaps one day another piece in the jigsaw will emerge.
Mrs Elizabeth Barry and Mrs Anne Bracegirdle were firm friends throughout and beyond their acting careers, often appearing together in plays to the delight of audiences, and it is likely that this bond, which they also shared off-stage, enhanced their performances. Though their personal lives were quite different, especially where amorous relationships were concerned, this did not impede their friendship and they no doubt supported each other through difficult times. Each had a circle of friends from differing backgrounds which gave them a wider view of the world outside the confines of theatres, and no doubt if they had lived in later centuries would both have had the title “Dame” inscribed on their gravestones.
I can highly recommend this book to all who have an interest in the Restoration period of history and theatre in general. My personal project, which incorporates research into Elizabethan theatre, has been given a new slant as, via this book, I can look into the future to see how the transformation, which dramatists such as Marlowe and Shakespeare brought about, paved the way for the restoration of this art form almost a century later.
© Chasqui Penguin, 2023
Twitter: @ChasquiPenguin
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