September 17, 2009, by Peter Kirwan
Autumn shows
It’s been a quiet summer, but as October approaches there are a range of Shakespeare shows coming up which I’m hoping to attend. Here’s the current wishlist:
- The NT Live broadcast of the National’s All’s Well that Ends Well, which I’ll be seeing at Warwick Arts Centre.
- Also at Warwick, Krazy Kat Theatre’s children’s show A Tempest. I’ve got a fondness for adaptations for kids, so looking forward to this one.
- Coming to Coventry’s Belgrade, the RSC’s Days of Significance, which I haven’t seen since its 2007 debut in the Swan.
- The RSC’s far more high-profile production of Twelfth Night at the Courtyard.
- As promoted by Sonia Massai at this year’s BSA conference, Two Gents Productions tour their Zimbabwean Two Gentlemen of Verona, which I’ll probably catch in Oxford.
- At the Barbican, the intimidating-sounding Roman Tragedies– Coriolanus, Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra rolled into one, six hour production. In Dutch.
- The Donmar’s Life is a Dream, a play I’ve studied but never seen. Looks like availability may scupper me here though.
- Then, thinking ahead to next year, there’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Rose Theatre Kingston, and Measure for Measure at the Almeida, both opening in February. There’s also a couple of bits of RSC new writing based on Shakespeare plays which I’d potentially like to see.
I’m probably not going to catch the Globe’s revival of Love’s Labour’s Lost. It’s a short run, and as it’s the same space, the same director and a substantial number of the same cast as the original production, I don’t think I can justify the time and expense (and they cancelled press night, so I lost my free ticket). I may also check out the local am-dram in my new locale of Kenilworth, who are putting on a version of Much Ado round the corner from me.
In a non-Shakespeare (and therefore non-review) line, I’m looking forward to the National’s Mother Courage, the Belgrade’s Beggar’s Opera and the West End transfer of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Anything screamingly obvious I’ve missed? Or any hot tips?
There’s the Sonnet Celebration at The Globe, though not strictly drama.
I’m waiting for booking to open for the Almeida MM, the CBJ Macbeth, the Old Vic Bridge Project Tempest and AYLI, as well as the SATF MND and Tempest.
I saw the NT Mother Courage on Wednesday and liked it immensely. Worth getting into the auditorium early to watch the onstage preparations. And watch out for the really loud machine gun in the second half!
Michelle Terry is due to appear in LLL at the Globe. Unfortunately three of those performances coincide exactly with performances of AW at the NT, so I assume she will be understudied at the Globe.
This just in: NT staging Hamlet in 2010 with Rory Kinnear
http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831253626097/Hytner+Stages+Rory+Kinnear+Hamlet+at+NT+in+2010.html
@ Duncan – thanks as ever for the tips. Pleasingly, for a change, I actually knew about all the 2010 shows you mentioned, although many thanks for the reminders – I definitely don’t want to miss booking for the Tobacco Factory this year.
The Hamlet’s been in the offing for a little while, I’m pleased they finally seem to be getting round to announcing it – was worried after all the Hamlet palavas recently that it might not be happening after all.
VERY intrigued as to how Terry is going to manage both shows! I can’t imagine why the Globe would have hired her back for the part (which of course she originated in 2007) if she’s going to miss three out of only 12 or so performances. But yeah, I would have thought her National committment would have taken priority. Anyone out there know how this is going to work?!
Did you look further down that National link?! They’re only bleeding doing Women Beware Women as well, directed by Marianne Elliott! I have to say, that’s the most exciting bit of theatre news I’ve heard for a while, my absolute favourite play.
I’m not familiar with Women Beware Women, but your enthusiastic recommendation goes part way to selling me a ticket!
I hope Michelle’s on stage when they record LLL for DVD release. That production, as well as R&J and most excitingly their current AYLI are being broadcast to cinemas and also released on disc:
http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/25640/shakespeares-globe-brings-bard-to-the-big
Almeida MM – Rory Kinnear as Angelo and Anna Maxwell Martin as Isabella. http://bit.ly/18FHFs
Fresh from Mark Shenton’s twitter feed:
Shakespeare’s Globe announces 2010 season (April 23-Oct 3): HENRY VIII, HENRY IV Pt 1 & 2, MACBETH, MERRY WIVES revival. Also new plays…