Enter Ghost

Historian Jerry Brotton presents a 10-part exploration into the life and work of the Elizabethan playwright Christopher ‘Kit’ Marlowe. Notorious for his violent death in a brawl in Deptford on the banks of the Thames, there’s perennial interest in Marlowe’s writing, his sexuality, his relationship with Shakespeare, the suspicion that he was a spy and the big “what-if” he had lived longer and produced even greater work. As the artistic co-director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Daniel Evans, says in the first programme – if things had been different, might he himself be working for the “Royal Marlowe Company”?

Step-by-step, Jerry Brotton traces Kit Marlowe’s life and career, takes us through his key plays, including Tamburlaine, Dr Faustus and Edward II, examines why they resonate with us now and talks to those today who are still fascinated by Kit’s legacy and influence.

As Tamburlaine took the Elizabethan stage by storm, everyone wanted to work with Kit Marlowe. He began collaborating with another talented young playwright with somewhat less of an explosive reputation: William Shakespeare. Jerry Brotton reveals the enduring influence of Marlowe on Shakespeare and how they seem to have collaborated on Henry VI, and assesses the relationship between the two dramatists.

Written and presented by Professor Jerry Brotton
Produced by Melissa FitzGerald
Christopher Marlowe read by Justice Ritchie
Other voices read by Tonderai Munyevu
Sound design by Tony Churnside

A Zinc Audio Production