Shakespeare - The Poems

Shakespeare is the world’s most famous playwright. But in his own time he was better known as the author of best-selling poems. A rich selection of these can be heard in St on Friday April 15th in a joint production by Ver Poets and the Company of Ten.
The poems offer a fascinating insight into Shakespeare’s character and the possible source of his inspiration. In 1592 the theatres in London were closed because of the plague. It was a potentially devastating blow to the career of the actor and budding playwright.
Shakespeare appealed to the young aristocrat and dandy Henry Wriothesley for patronage and dedicated two long poems to him. The performance at the Maltings Arts Theatre will examine this key relationship and how it may be reflected in the poetry.
The evening will include selections from the Sonnets, Venus and Adonis and the Rape of Lucrece performed by local actors. And there will be a commentary on the significance of the poems and where they fit in the dramatist’s career.
Ver Poets chairman Terry Jones says: “Imagine if Shakespeare’s plays had never been printed – as almost happened! He would still be known as one of the best-selling poets of his era.
“The poems cover the whole gamut – raunchy, mystical, cynical, lyrical. They contain mysteries that 400 years of scholarship have failed to crack. But we will be delving into those on April 15th.
“I hope people will come to this event and discover the Shakespeare that the Elizabethans knew well but whom we have allowed to slip beneath the shadow of the playwright.”
Tickets for the event which starts at 8 pm are £8 on the door, or £7 by advance booking on the Maltings Theatre website.

For more information visit http://www.maltingsartstheatre.co.uk/