Straight Acting: The Many Queer Lives of William Shakespeare

'Fluent and witty . . . confident . . . highly readable' Kathryn Hughes, GUARDIAN 'Brilliant - so vivid and so sharp, fantastically clever and consistently fascinating' KATHERINE RUNDELL, author of Super-Infinite In the audiobook Straight Acting, delve into the complex question of Shakespeare's sexuality. This engaging narration reveals how Shakespeare's work was deeply influenced by the queer culture of his time, blending a rigorous education in homoeroticism with a vivid street life. The performance brings to life the gender-bending early comedies and the remarkable literary scene that shaped his sonnets, offering a fresh perspective on his artistic development and personal crises. This compelling listening experience presents a surprising portrait of Shakespeare's queer existence, both in his life and the characters of his plays. The narrative takes listeners back to Shakespeare's England, exploring a culture that oscillated between endorsing and suppressing same-sex desire. Discover how queerness crucially influenced the career of the world’s most renowned playwright.