Tudor Tarantino, The

Synopsis: Dominic Arkwright charts the rise and fall of Thomas Middleton. He wrote stories of murder, incest and sexual blackmail in the backstreets of London occasionally out-selling Shakespeare at the box office. So why were his plays banned from the stage for over three hundred years? Gary Taylor, editor of The Complete Middleton, argues that this dangerous genius was too controversial to survive and thrive. Shakespeare’s stories of kings and queens, of hope and redemption, outlasted the disturbing visions of the trouble-maker Middleton. But more controversial is the claim that Middleton had a hand in Shakespeare’s success. Arkwright examines the evidence for Middleton’s "collaborations" with Shakespeare, and looks at Middleton’s claim to greatness. Also assessing the case for Middleton are Professor Jonathan Bate, Professor Sir Brian Vickers, and actress Harriet Walter, about to take to the London stage as one of Middleton’s most villainous anti-heroes.
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Radio
Recording date: 11 May 2010
Duration: 34 mins

Producer: John Byrne
Contributor: Brian Vickers; Dominic Arkwright; Gary Taylor; Harriet Walter; Jonathan Bate

Production type: Documentary/Educational/News
Subjects: Drama; English language and literature
Keywords: Jacobean drama; Middleton, Thomas (1580-1627); Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Authorship

SHAKESPEARE