You Wouldn't Want to Be A Shakespearean Actor
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- ISBN 9781835878224
- Publication Date: 03 Sep 2026
- Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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It's 1594 and you are a young boy in London with dreams of the stage. But once you join a company of players, the reality of being a Shakespearean actor is far tougher than you imagined. You rehearse endlessly, earn almost nothing and must memorise dozens of roles at once, all while performing outdoors for noisy crowds who might cheer, jeer or throw food.
With women banned from the stage, you're trained to play female parts, squeezed into corsets and judged on every gesture and line. When plague sweeps through London and the theatres close, you're forced onto the road, performing anywhere you can to survive. Even back at the Globe, danger is everywhere, from thieves in the audience to real cannons threatening to set the theatre ablaze.
Told in the trademark second-person voice of the You Wouldn't Want to... series, this book blends humour, vivid historical detail and David Antram's energetic illustrations, supported by a glossary and index.
Jacqueline Morley studied English at Oxford University. She has taught English and History, and now works as a freelance writer. She has written historical fiction and non-fiction for children.
David Antram was born in Brighton, England, in 1958. He studied at Eastbourne College of Art and then worked in advertising for 15 years before becoming a full-time illustrator. He has since illustrated well over 100 titles, mainly for children and young adults, including around 60 in the bestselling 'You Wouldn't Want to...' series.
