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The Launching of the Mary: A Script-in-Hand Exploration
May 6, 2025 @ 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
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THE LAUNCHING OF THE MARY: A Script-in-Hand Exploration
“The launching of a ship? This modern age
hath seldom seen such action on a stage.”
Almost 400 years since it was written at sea, come step into the riverside world of Walter Mountfort’s The Launching of the Mary.
During his ‘return from East India in 1632, Walter Mountfort spent his idle hours writing a play. Set in a London shipyard, complete with sprawling subplots and a range of colourful characters, The Launching of the Mary immerses readers in a bustling riverside world. As shipyard artisans prepare to launch a ship, while marine officers debate the ethics of overseas trade, the mariner’s wife, Dorotea Constance, defends her home against a torrent of suitors. This workshop invites participants to explore this unknown Renaissance play through a lively but relaxed script-in-hand reading, partly city comedy, part domestic tragedy, and part something else entirely.
No prior knowledge or performance experience is required to participate. A lightly abridged, modern spelling edition of the play has been produced specially for this event, and participants are invited to read, listen, or both. The session will conclude with a section for Q&A and the chance to reflect on the experience of encountering this curious play.
Tuesday 6 May 2025, 14:00-16:30
Keynes Library, 43 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PD
https://www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event/49292/the-launching-of-the-mary-a-script-in-hand-exploration
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