Read Not Dead

The Read Not Dead ground rules are simple. Actors rehearse the play on a Sunday morning and present it, script in hand, to an audience later that afternoon.

The performances are instinctive, adrenaline driven and inventive. Actors and audiences alike share in the excitement of reviving these forgotten plays that definitely deserve to be Read Not Dead.

Look About You

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Written as a response to Munday’s Robin Hood plays, this script-in-hand performance takes us to Henry II’s court where Robert Hood in embroiled in a dramatic dispute.
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The Captain

Elsewhere
It’s peace time, and the soldiers of Venice are at a loose end. A young gentlewoman, Frank, finds herself attracted to Captain Jacomo, despite his misogynist nature, but the interventions of her brother’s friends prevent the course of true love from running smoothly.
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The Sad Shepherd, Or, A Tale Of Robin Hood

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
A mystery disappearance has dramatic consequences at a feast hosted by Robin Hood in this script-in-hand performance of Ben Jonson’s last play.
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The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Prince John plots to seize Richard the Lionheart’s throne whilst he’s away on the crusade in this script-in-hand performance.
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On The Road at Gray’s Inn

Elsewhere
Our annual reading in Gray’s Inn Hall – venue for the first recorded performance of The Comedy of Errors – brings together Globe actors and leading lawyers in one of the most beautiful Shakespeare venues in the country.
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Rarely Played: Look About You

Nancy Knowles Lecture Theatre
The accompanying talk for 'Look About You'.
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Rarely Played: On The Road At Gray's Inn

Elsewhere
The accompanying talk for the staged reading of 'The Sad Shepard, or, A Tale of Robin Hood' at Grays Inn.
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Rarely Played: The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington

Nancy Knowles Lecture Theatre
The accompanying talk for the staged reading of 'The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington'.
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The Death of Robert Earl of Huntington

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
In Munday’s sequel to the Robin Hood story, the former outlaw earl faces dangers from new enemies. As the crown passes from Richard to his brother John, civil war erupts under his corrupt and tyrannical rule.
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Rarely Played: The Death of Robert Earl of Huntington

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse Nancy Knowles Lecture Theatre
Discover more about the plays chosen for the Read Not Dead series in one of our inspiring and engaging seminar introductions prior to the performance.
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