Shakespeare in the Theatre: Cheek by Jowl

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Cheek by Jowl, founded by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod in 1981, is one of the worlds most critically acclaimed classical theatre companies. Across seventeen productions of Shakespeare (as well as several by his contemporaries and other European dramatists), Cheek by Jowls experiments with text, space, light and bodies have produced bold reinventions of canonical and lesser-explored plays. Despite the pre-eminence of the company, its multiple awards and central place in the European repertory, this is the first substantive study of the companys body of work. This book situates Cheek by Jowls work within the key institutions and traditions that have shaped the companys development from low-budget beginnings at the Edinburgh Festival to international celebration, while also focusing specifically on the companys use of Shakespeare to drive forward its practice. Drawing on the companys work in English, Russian and French, the book uses key productions as case studies to interrogate the companys unique style and build an argument for the distinctive insights offered by Cheek by Jowls approach. The book draws on new interviews with creative and administrative company members from the full span of Cheek by Jowls history as well as a full appraisal of the Cheek by Jowl archives, offering the first scholarly overview of the companys work.

Reviews

Kirwan draws on a rich range of sources in his exploration of the company's work, augmenting his performance analyses with archival research, interviews, and, in the case of The Winter's Tale, even rehearsal observation. This latter approach is particularly fruitful in providing privileged insights into Cheek by Jowl's process and makes a valuable contribution to the burgeoning field of rehearsal studies. * Theatre Notebook *

Author Bio

Peter Kirwan is Associate Professor in Early Modern Drama at the University of Nottingham, UK. His recent books include Shakespeare and the Idea of Apocrypha (2015) and Canonising Shakespeare: Stationers and the Book Trade, 16401740 (with Emma Depledge, 2017).