Youths That Thunder

Dr Eli Cumings and Dr Lydia Valentine are at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on Thursday 29 October, presenting new research on Shakespeare, race and performance. It's part of the Shakespeare and Race Festival, which has been running since 2018 to open up conversations about race in Shakespeare's plays and in his era through workshops, conversations, symposia and performances. The festival is led by the Globe's Research and Education teams, and Hanh Bui, Head of Research, describes the people — artists, scholars, students and professionals — as its beating heart.

The two scholars each bring a new piece of research to the table. Dr Cumings looks at a 1961 production of Macbeth in colonial Zimbabwe, and Dr Valentine examines the racial significance of 'bastard' characters in The Winter's Tale. The title, Youths That Thunder, comes from Henry VIII, Act IV, scene 4: 'These are the youths that thunder at a playhouse...'

The session sits alongside the winter season of plays in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and the Globe's Research and Collections Centre, which houses London's only dedicated Shakespeare library. It's one of the festival's many talks and conversations, so if you're into the research side of things, there's plenty more to pick from across the season.

It starts at 6.30 pm and runs for an hour and ten minutes, with tickets at £5.00.