Shakespeare's links to Lancashire investigated (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Shakespeare's links to Lancashire investigated

5:00pm Sunday 22nd April 2012 in News By Nafeesa Shan , Reporter

LANCASHIRE, or not in Lancashire: That is the question that is being debated by academics at UCLan about William Shakespeare’s links to the county.

The University of Central Lancashire’s lecturer Catharine Frances is asking friends, Romans and Lancastrians to lend her their ears to explore if the playwright did in fact live in Hoghton Tower in his younger years.

Speculation about Shakespeare’s ‘lost’ years has been widely debated and remains controversial to this day.

But the university claims there is evidence that shows the literary genius who wrote much loved plays, including Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Macbeth, and sonnets could have stayed with Alexander Hoghton of Hoghton Tower.

Catharine, a senior lecturer in theatre and dance, said: “Some scholars believe the will of Alexander Hoghton from 1581 is evidence that Shakespeare may have spent time in the Hoghton household as a young man.

“This key document in the Lancastrian Shakespeare debate is housed in the Lancashire Records' Office in Preston.”

A debate on the suibject is taking place in the Harris Library, Preston, today(april23), which is also Shakespeare’s birthday, between 5pm and 7pm.

Catharine said: “Our Theatre History students have the opportunity to examine this and other primary historical documents relating to theatre in Lancashire as part of their course.

“This public lecture comes from our students’ enthusiastic response to the idea that Shakespeare may have lived in Lancashire at Hoghton Tower and their research journey through the circumstantial evidence and its various contemporary interpretations.”

The talk is part of a series of public lectures given by University of Central Lancashire’s English Literature team. Free tickets are available on the door.