Richard II (RSC) @ The Courtyard Theatre
August 4, 2007
With the Complete Works Festival now long over, and the Swan preparing to shut down in a couple of weeks, the RSC’s attention now seems focussed on its new Big Project. The Histories Cycle is Michael Boyd’s attempt to stage with a single company the two tetralogies of history plays that Shakespeare wrote. The Cycle …
Twelfth Night (WSAF) @ Warwick Arts Centre
June 28, 2007
There are dangers to taking on Shakespeare. People are obviously drawn to the history, the accessibility, the guaranteed audiences and the copyright-free texts, but sometimes the dangers get overlooked. Perhaps the most overlooked problem when tackling a Shakespeare play is the question of “Why?”. When every play has such a rich performance history, why do …
Cymbeline (Cheek by Jowl) @ The Barbican Theatre
June 6, 2007
I love Cheek By Jowl. I’ve seen several of their productions, both English and Russian, over the last few years, and they are the company who have most consistently impressed me with their intelligent approach to classical texts, their innovative ideas and groundbreaking use of space and movement, directed by Declan Donnellan. In addition, they’re …
The BBC Shakespeare
June 3, 2007
While seeing the Complete Works Festival has been the main part of my work over the last year, I’ve been quietly supplementing this with two other ‘Bardathons’. The first is the academic, where I’ve been reading the Arden editions of every play, and I’ll probably post some thoughts about that once I’ve finished (I’m on …
Will @ Warwick #2
June 1, 2007
As promised, here’s the link to the second episode of ‘Will @ Warwick’, the first episode that has me on it. I have to admit I haven’t managed to steel myself to listen to it yet. However, you’ll be pleased to know that it also features Lenny Henry and Barrie Rutter, so even if I’m …
Macbett (RSC) @ The Swan Theatre
May 30, 2007
I should preface this by saying that I’m not overly familiar with the work of Eugene Ionesco. I’ve studied a little of the ‘Theatre Of The Absurd’, but never actually seen a Ionesco production until last night. The opportunity, therefore, to see a response to Shakespeare written by one of the pioneers of a particularly …
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Dash Arts) @ The Swan Theatre
May 5, 2007
I’ve raved about this production before, the greatest, or 2nd greatest (depending on my mood) production of the Complete Works Festival. It’s back for three sold-out weeks in Stratford-upon-Avon, and the production has gone from strength to strength since it was last here, playing to packed audience around the globe. This is, of course, Tim …
The RSC Open Day
It’s been almost a week since the RSC Open Day 2007, which among other things heralded the official close of the Complete Works Festival. I’ve had a hectic week at work and haven’t had a chance to even think about posting blogs for a while, but the one advantage of having the extra time is …
Coriolanus (Ninagawa Company) @ The Barbican Theatre
April 30, 2007
I’d never been to the Barbican before Friday night, and I have to say I was incredibly impressed. It’s enormous and beautiful and very much the kind of venue that gets me excited about theatre, life and all the possibility there is. Needless to say I picked up several events guides and am already looking …
Critics vs. Audience
April 19, 2007
The reviews are in, and Conall O’Morrison’s ‘Macbeth’ got a thorough critical lashing. Chief in the complaints were Patrick O’Kane’s unsubtle and shouty title performance (agree), the multicultural cast and setting (disagree), the concept of the witches (completely disagree) and the ultraviolent beginning (which I liked, but one critic made an excellent case for this …
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