1950s London provides an illuminating, multi-faceted backdrop for Measure for Measure. The appearance of the Teddy Boys in 1954 sparked a “moral panic” similar to what takes place in the play, and like Claudio, the Teds were scapegoated by their adult superiors – the government, the police, the educators – as a method of dealing with Britain’s postwar anxieties.

Claudio

Lucio

Mistress Overdone

Pompey