The Dream Factory: London's First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare by Daniel Swift
The remarkable untold story of Shakespeare’s first theatre – the playhouse before the Globe
In 1576, in a muddy field in Shoreditch, James Burbage erected London’s first purpose-built commercial playhouse. A place of high culture and quick profit, run by cunning dreamers, the Theatre for the first time offered London’s players the chance to control what they staged. At a time when playgoing was held to be close to a sin, this entertainment factory was a flashpoint for controversy – but would also become Shakespeare’s first theatre, where he learned to ply his trade before his company moved to the Globe.
Through the life of this little-known playhouse, Daniel Swift tells the story of how Shakespeare became Shakespeare, and the Elizabethan stage began to flourish. Introducing us to the businessmen who dreamed up the Theatre, the carpenters who built it, the preachers who hated it, and the actors who performed upon its small stage, The Dream Factory recreates the world that produced Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream– and the audiences who first saw them.
Every purchase you make supports the work of Shakespeare's Globe. Thank you!
Detail
Author: Daniel Swift
Format: Hardback
Size: 254 mm x 68.6 mm
Pages: 320
We offer free UK delivery on orders over £30.
- Royal Mail – untracked
- DHL Next Day Delivery at checkout
International shipping options:
- Global Mail - Tracked standard service
- Express Worldwide – faster delivery with tracking
Please note: Global Mail shipping is currently unavailable for US orders due to new US tariff regulations.
Made-to-order items
Some products are shipped directly from our suppliers. If your order includes both made-to-order and stocked items, they may arrive in separate parcels. For more details, visit our Delivery & Returns page.
The remarkable untold story of Shakespeare’s first theatre – the playhouse before the Globe
In 1576, in a muddy field in Shoreditch, James Burbage erected London’s first purpose-built commercial playhouse. A place of high culture and quick profit, run by cunning dreamers, the Theatre for the first time offered London’s players the chance to control what they staged. At a time when playgoing was held to be close to a sin, this entertainment factory was a flashpoint for controversy – but would also become Shakespeare’s first theatre, where he learned to ply his trade before his company moved to the Globe.
Through the life of this little-known playhouse, Daniel Swift tells the story of how Shakespeare became Shakespeare, and the Elizabethan stage began to flourish. Introducing us to the businessmen who dreamed up the Theatre, the carpenters who built it, the preachers who hated it, and the actors who performed upon its small stage, The Dream Factory recreates the world that produced Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream– and the audiences who first saw them.
Every purchase you make supports the work of Shakespeare's Globe. Thank you!
Detail
Author: Daniel Swift
Format: Hardback
Size: 254 mm x 68.6 mm
Pages: 320
We offer free UK delivery on orders over £30.
- Royal Mail – untracked
- DHL Next Day Delivery at checkout
International shipping options:
- Global Mail - Tracked standard service
- Express Worldwide – faster delivery with tracking
Please note: Global Mail shipping is currently unavailable for US orders due to new US tariff regulations.
Made-to-order items
Some products are shipped directly from our suppliers. If your order includes both made-to-order and stocked items, they may arrive in separate parcels. For more details, visit our Delivery & Returns page.