Region, religion and patronage: Lancastrian Shakespeare explores the network of social, political and spiritual connections in north west England as a site for regional drama, introducing the reader to the non-metropolitan theatre spaces which formed a vital part of early modern dramatic activity. This groundbreaking book uses the possibility that Shakespeare began his theatrical career in Lancashire to open up a range of new contexts for reading his plays and introduces readers to the non-metropolitan theatre spaces which formed a vital part of early modern dramatic activity. The ways in which this rich cultural and theatrical context creates a starting point for innovative readings of Shakespeare's plays are shown in individual essays on Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. The book will be of interest to postgraduate students working in Shakespearean studies, early modern drama, theatre history, and religious history, as well as local historians.