Episodes
The Mysterious Mr Webster (BBC Four Sun 15 May 2022)
Jacobean dramatist John Webster was the son of a coachmaker with a strong sense of the macabre. His life was shadowy, and his plays were darkly imagined. The Duchess of Malfi is a gothic tale of forbidden love, intrigue, betrayal, and murder that was the most frequently performed non-Shakespeare play of the period.
Professor James Shapiro goes in search of the mysterious man behind the play in this documentary, piecing together the pieces of Webster’s life and exploring how he came to write The Duchess of Malfi just as the Jacobeans were inventing modern indoor theatre. Gemma Arterton, who plays the title role in The Globe’s candlelit production, contributes.
Airdate: Sunday 15 May 2022 at 10.30pm on BBC Four.