Frank Greenall: Lifting the lid on Shakespeare

BUSTING FORTH: World's greatest wordsmith.

IT seems the Stratford grain merchant Will Shakspere (or Shagspere) was just a coincidental passenger in this whole Shakespeare saga.

A country fellow, similar name to a London theatre man, who liked to occasionally catch a show and enjoy some big city social life - just like a Wairarapa farmer hitting Wellington whenever the wool cheque arrived.

It was a special irony being credited as the world's greatest wordsmith when the extent of his known penmanship was just a few shaky signatures.

But that leaves the London Will Shakespeare - actor, theatre shareholder and front man for Sir Henry Neville's verse and dramatic works. Nothing is known about his pre-theatre life at all, but that was the case for Stratford Will's early years, too.

The only evidence of a young Stratford Will was his baptism and marriage licence documents. All the rest - his education, how he supposedly became an actor/playwright, and so forth - was total supposition or invention.

The generic surname Shakespeare was not uncommon, with many alternatives seemingly used arbitrarily even by the same person.

A young tutor, William Shakeshafte, was in Lancashire at this time. Who knows - later he may have tweaked his name and followed his dream to the London stage, much as still happens now.

David Bowie was originally David Jones.

But whichever way the London Will made it, his troupe - now called the King's Men - is doing well. The king himself is their patron, who pays well for special performances. Plus they've had some big hits in the public theatres.

Luckily, Will has a source of surprisingly good new plays. Sure, most of them are rehashes, but Neville, the guy supplying them, has a nifty turn of phrase and piles on lots of sex and exciting gory action stuff.

Henry Neville's family has long been involved in the performing arts, and it's in young Henry's DNA. Plus he's a top scholar, has travelled the Continent extensively, and already an MP at age 22.

His passion, though, is the theatre, and he hangs out with London theatre folk. Eventually, he hooks up with a handy fellow called Shakespeare, who's a bit actor and also go-to man for one of the main companies. Will's looking for new material for his troupe, and Henry's got a heap of stuff he's been scribbling away at.

But Henry's no fool. He knows if this stuff about overthrowing monarchs and whatnot goes out under his own name, he can kiss his political career goodbye. But no problem. Will the actor's happy to front for him if he wants. And Henry most definitely wants it - especially after nearly losing his head when caught up in the Essex rebellion.

Eventually, some even start to assume Will's written the stuff himself, and the odd cryptic reference to him as a writer appears. Mostly, though, people know he's just the front guy and leave it at that. But theatre is hard graft. After expenses there's not much left in the kitty. To cap it off, in 1613 the troupe's flash new theatre, the Globe, burns to the ground when some special effects go awry. The shareholders each front up 60 for the rebuild, except for Will Shakespeare.

Maybe he's just had enough of the whole business and wants out, maybe even leaves town - or the country. Either way, Will quietly slips out of view - just another player that "struts and frets his hour upon the stage. And then is heard no more".

Within the space of a few years, then, the Globe burns down, London theatre man Will bails out, and likely author Henry Neville and Stratford Will die.

Stratford Will's death in 1616 doesn't rate even a mention in London. A bit strange, given the passing of major theatre men like Ben Jonson usually elicits effusive public grief.

But however why, the supply of new plays suddenly ceases. Good grief! Is that the time? As previously mentioned, I'll be wrapping things up next week.