This collection investigates the historical and theatrical evolution of drama from the medieval period through the Elizabethan era to determine how earlier traditions informed Shakespearean performance. Glynne Wickham, a noted scholar in theatre history, utilizes his extensive research into early English stagecraft to argue that Shakespeare’s work cannot be fully understood in isolation from the medieval and Tudor dramatic conventions that preceded it. The text provides a framework for analyzing the physical, social, and structural constraints of the early modern stage.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the continuity of English dramatic history. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides significant insight for students and researchers of Shakespearean performance history.