In their own distinctive manner, each of the four actors discussed in this volume have had a profound and innovative influence on the methods of Shakespearean performance, and thus on the appreciation and interpretation of his plays. Their careers encompass almost a century of theatrical experience, from John Gielgud's childhood before the First World War to Judi Dench's performances in the first decades of the new millennium. The volume affords invaluable insights into changing approaches to the actor's craft, the aims and methods of the theatre, the institutions presenting productions and, above all, to Shakespeare's plays themselves.

Russell Jackson is Allardyce Nicoll Chair in Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of Birmingham, UK. He was formerly Director of the Shakespeare Institute. His books include The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film 2e (2007) and The Oxford Illustrated History of Shakespeare on Stage 2e (2001).