Shakespeare's Knotty Comedies: Study Day

This event has now passed.
Visit our What's On to see our current and upcoming events.

Join academics and artists for an insightful, day-long exploration of Shakespeare’s Knotty Comedies, inspired by our upcoming production of his cutting All’s Well That Ends Well in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse this winter.

Sometimes the boundary between humour and pathos is anything but clear. Through a series of talks and seminars, we’ll unpack the pleasure – and pain – of some of Shakespeare’s thorniest comedies, which challenge our notions of love, morality, and happy endings.

You’ll end the day with a Q&A with members of our All’s Well That Ends Well Company, giving you the chance to ask questions and gain further insight into the plays.

This Study Day can be enjoyed on its own but is also a perfect introduction to our production of All’s Well That Ends Well. So why not round off your day with a ticket to the evening performance following the Study Day? Tickets for the performance are not included in the Study Day ticket price and must be purchased separately.

DETAILS

TICKETS
£100

Become a Member and get 20% off selected education events and activities!

This event is on-site – please meet in the main foyer.

Running time is approximately 6 hours

Terms and conditions
A £2.50 transaction fee per order applies online and over the telephone.

Part of Research Events

Plan your visit

Find out how to get here, where to stay and read our FAQs.

Access

Find out about access provisions for Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people.

SPEAKERS

SCHEDULE

12.15 – 1.15pm
Session 1: ‘All’s Well That Ends Well in Performance’ with Dr Gemma Miller (University of London)
This session will consider the play’s original performance conditions and then explore some of its more ambiguous or problematic moments. We will compare different approaches to bringing those moments to life on the stage.
2.15pm – 3.15pm
Session 2: ‘Conflicts of Consent’ with Lubaaba Al-Azami (University of Manchester)
This talk will explore how gender, class and race intersect to disrupt romantic and familial dynamics in All’s Well That Ends Well. This knottiest of Shakespearean comedies offers a compelling tale of female agency, but also carries darker undercurrents of choice, consent and guardianship. We explore questions of wardship, single and surrogate-parenting and sexual agency as revealed through the relationship of Helen and Bertram.
3.30pm – 4.30pm
Session 3: ‘“Wicked meaning in a lawful deed”: Problem Plays, Problems & Plays with Dr Tristan Marshall (University of Cambridge)
This talk explores gender roles in All’s Well That Ends Well alongside another ‘problem play’, Measure for Measure. Examining the plays through the lens of early modern audiences, the session aims to show how ‘problem plays’ may well have been less problematic on the early Jacobean stages.

MORE EVENTS

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE