Studies of early modern English drama in print and performance have often prioritized – or even fetishized – first editions and first performances. Challenging ingrained assumptions about chronology, this collection focuses critical attention on the various ways that Renaissance drama was repeated and renewed. Ranging widely across the period, from the 1580s to the early 1700s, the chapters examine canonical plays and authors-including Shakespeare and Ben Jonson-outside of the contexts in which they are ordinarily viewed. The chapters also demonstrates the significance of texts, authors, and forms of evidence that have been critically neglected, from lost plays and music manuscripts to playgoers' diaries and multi-author 'nonce' anthologies. As a whole, the collection opens up new areas of study and offers fresh perspectives on questions of temporality, commerce, aesthetics, agency, and canon-formation.

‘Reprints and Revivals of Renaissance Drama is a true original in its deft, exhilarating explorations of what is not original. In shifting away from scholarship's focus on firsts and newness, and through beautifully crafted case studies, this book offers a profound methodological intervention in early modern theatre and book history.'

Peter Kirwan - Professor of Shakespeare & Performance, Mary Baldwin University

‘This is a remarkable collection, amply repaying its editors' wager that a focus on repetition-in the theatre or in print-can help us see early modern drama as if for the first time. Virtually every page offers a fresh reading of some familiar play or an eye-opening reading of an unfamiliar one.'

Jeremy Lopez - Professor and Chair, Department of English, Montclair State University

‘Plays were written for repeated outings, but our focus on first performances has hidden that fact. This riveting collection is on early modern plays in revival and reprint. Its incisive case studies on later audiences, readers and contexts offer new insights into the plurality of dramatic meaning.'

Tiffany Stern - Professor of Shakespeare, The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham