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Read Not Dead was launched in 1995 and brings actors, audiences and scholars together to explore and celebrate the plays performed in London and on its stages before 1642. The ground-rules are simple. Actors are given a script on a Sunday morning and work with a director to get the play up on its feet - with entrances and exits, token costume and music if needed. They present it, script in hand, to an audience at 16:00. These are not intended to be polished productions. However, there is a shared spirit of adventure and excitement for actors and audiences who sense that they might be uncovering a hidden gem. They say you are a witch'. 'They lie. I am a cunning woman'. Unlike Lyly’s other fantastic comedies, Mother Bombie is set in the real world of Rochester, where a mysterious old woman watches as parents haggle over their children’s love lives. As characters learn new things about their own identities, the audience learns the truth of the warning, 'Beware of Mother Bombie'. Co-ordinated by James Wallace who will be joined in a post-show discussion by Andy Kesson, Perry Mills, Leah Scragg and members of the cast.