All One Mutual Cry

One of the many misconceptions surrounding the performance of Shakespeare's plays is the assumption that he is better suited to some accents than others. In many countries around the world there is a belief that Shakespeare should be delivered in particular types of "standard" accents, whether this be British Received Pronunciation, also known as BBC English, in fact only spoken by some 2-3% of the population, or its equivalent in other cultures. Yet these are accents which had never been dreamt of in Shakespeare's time, and which are very much at odds with the accents of his own time and place. The author explores the origins of these standard accents, and their gradual adoption by theatre professionals and eventually the film and television industries, together with their underpinning support from the training institutions in different countries. he also explores the relationship between these accents and so-called original Pronunciation, other regional and national accents and dialects, and the changing nature of engagement with Shakespeare's spoken language.