Site Specific Shakespeare: A Conversation with Benjamin Blyth
Episode 237:
Later in life Shakespeare was creating his plays with two very different performance spaces in mind, the Globe and the Blackfriars, but probably also with a mind to the portability of plays for when they were taken to the court and into the country on tour. Performing Shakespeare in spaces not specifically designed for the theatre experience has, since then, been a maintained tradition not just in the UK but in worldwide locations. In his book ‘Site Specific Shakespeare’ author Benjamin Blyth examines case studies of different types of performance spaces and how they affect the performances and are used by the practitioners involved. Ben’s study is rooted in his own practical experience of theatre making and offers a fascinating insight into the diversity, challenges, and benefits of working with Shakespeare in different spaces.
Benjamin Blyth is a lecturer of Medieval and Early Modern Literature at St. Mary’s University and the University of Calgary. A scholar-practitioner with ten years’ experience directing Shakespeare around the world, Ben specialises in site-specificity and practice-as-research. His work has appeared in critical articles for Early Theatre, Shakespeare Bulletin, and Miranda; and his book Site-Specific Shakespeare was published by Cambridge University Press in 2026. Ben’s doctoral monograph, Shakespeare in Shoreditch, will be published by Arden Bloomsbury in January 2027.
Links to 'Site Specific Shakespeare'
Cambridge University Press: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009617376
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Site-Specific-Shakespeare-Elements-Performance/dp/1009617362/ref=sr_1_1/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Site-Specific-Shakespeare-Elements-Performance-ebook/dp/B0GY5KMBMF/ref=sr_1_1/
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Benjamin Blyth is a lecturer of Medieval and Early Modern Literature at St. Mary’s University and the University of Calgary. A scholar-practitioner with ten years’ experience directing Shakespeare around the world, Ben specialises in site-specificity and practice-as-research. His work has appeared in critical articles for Early Theatre, Shakespeare Bulletin, and Miranda; and his new book Site-Specific Shakespeare was published by Cambridge University Press in 2026. Ben’s doctoral monograph, Shakespeare in Shoreditch, will be published by Arden Bloomsbury in January 2027.
Link to CUP Site Specific Shakespeare: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009617376