Merely Players? marks a groundbreaking departure in Shakespeare studies by giving direct voice to the Shakespearean performer. It draws on three centuries worth of actors' written reflections on playing Shakespeare and brings together the dual worlds of performance and academia, providing a unique resource for the student and theatre-lover alike.

Jonathan Holmes is lecturer in Drama at Royal Holloway, University of London. His research interests include Renaissance Drama in performance, early twentieth century systems of actor training, and poetry in performance. He has published in Shakespeare Survey, New Theatre Quarterly and Studies in Renaissance Drama. He also works as a theatre director.

Introduction: sometime a paradox 1 Against the grain: Shakespeare and the problem of character 2 Aged customs: negotiating traditions of Shakespearean performance 3 Noble memories: playing Hamlet 4 Acting the Woman: feminist appropriations in Clamorous Voices, Conclusion: a bad epitaph