What do audiences do as they watch a Shakespeare play? What makes them respond in the ways that they do? Exploring the practice of being a modern Shakespearean audience, Stephen Purcell examines a wide range of theatrical productions, surveys some of the most influential ideas about spectatorship in contemporary performance studies, and analyses how both modern theatre practitioners and the play texts themselves position audiences in particular ways. Innovative and insightful, this book includes detailed case studies of two modern productions, a collaborative debate section, and suggestions for practical exercises and further reading.