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A review by gillothen
Every Man in His Humour by Ben Jonson
3.0
Read as part of the 2020 Extra Mile readathon of the Shakespeare Institute in the lockdown summer of 2020.
We read the 1601 Quarto version, set in Florence, as that is what was performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men at the Theatre. A group reading usually brings out the strengths and weaknesses of a play - here was recognised some powerful speeches for a character possibly played by Burbage, and some comic knockabout that isn't always easy to spot in solo reading. This was Jonson's first big hit, as an aspiring playwright, and it's clear he had a very good idea of the company's resources, with disguises and costume changes, and a long sword. Fun to read in this way.
We read the 1601 Quarto version, set in Florence, as that is what was performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men at the Theatre. A group reading usually brings out the strengths and weaknesses of a play - here was recognised some powerful speeches for a character possibly played by Burbage, and some comic knockabout that isn't always easy to spot in solo reading. This was Jonson's first big hit, as an aspiring playwright, and it's clear he had a very good idea of the company's resources, with disguises and costume changes, and a long sword. Fun to read in this way.