Peter Kirwan
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Hamlet (RSC) @ The Courtyard Theatre
September 7, 2008
I have to wonder, in many ways, what is left to say about this production. Ever since the announcement, about a year ago, that David Tennant would be playing Hamlet in Gregory Doran’s new production of the play, the hype machine has been in full gear. Endless blogs, articles, debates, releases, the adoption of several …
The Merry Wives of Windsor @ Shakespeare’s Globe
August 26, 2008
So, finally, on to The Merry Wives of Windsor, the last of my three London plays this weekend and, in my opinion, the best. Not as inventive as Timon, nor as technically outstanding as Waves, it might seem an unlikely judgment, but Merry Wives did exactly what it said on the tin. By far the …
Timon of Athens @ Shakespeare’s Globe
August 25, 2008
After years of not knowing what answer to give, I recently finally decided that Timon of Athens is my favourite Shakespeare play. Structurally it’s fascinating, built in recurring circles of action that allow examinations of the varoius character types from a variety of angles. The language, as befits a Middleton collaboration, is suitably depraved and …
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (RSC) @ The Courtyard Theatre
August 22, 2008
Considering the RSC’s fondness for revivals (cf the recent Henry VI/Richard III cycle and the touring The Comedy of Errors), it’s perhaps surprising that this is the first time I’ve been to one that I saw first time round. Greg Doran’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was one of the better productions of the 2005 Comedies …
Gnomeo and Juliet
August 20, 2008
I’ve just been accused of snobbery for being dismayed at this news article. To summarise, briefly. A new CGI musical spoof of Romeo and Juliet. Titled : Gnomeo and Juliet. Starring James McAvoy as a gnome. The film being primarily a vehicle for the music of Elton John. * * * * Snob I may be. …
The Winter’s Tale (Globe Touring) @ The Bodleian Library, Oxford
August 19, 2008
It’s a busy week of theatre for me. I’m seeing the RSC’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream tonight (first glimpse for me of the ensemble who are also performing Hamlet and Love’s Labour’s Lost), and I’m spending the bank holiday in London where I’ll catch the Globe’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and Timon of Athens. …
Macbeth: Who Is That Bloodied Man? (Teatr Biuro Podrozy) @ The Square2, National Theatre
August 11, 2008
For two productions only, the National Theatre has opened a new space, the Square2, just outside the main theatre on the South Bank. It’s an odd space, a large flat open area with audience standing around on three sides on stepped platforms behind crash barriers on raked platforms. Only a low wall separates it from …
Henry VI Part III: The Chaos (Young Rep) @ The Door, Birmingham Repertory Theatre
July 13, 2008
It’s not unprecedented to produce one part of the Henry VI trilogy in isolation, but it’s an extremely rare occurrence and a financial gamble that few professional theatre companies can afford to take – who’s going to come and see just one part of a trilogy? Yet for their latest production the Young REP have …
Regional Schools Celebration @ The Courtyard Theatre
July 3, 2008
On Monday, the Courtyard Theatre hosted the Regional Schools Celebration, a culmination of sorts of the first phase of the RSC’s Stand Up for Shakespeare campaign. Featuring a full programme of nine 25 minute playlets by school groups ranging from primary to 6th form, interspersed with awards ceremonies and talking heads, the event was a large-scale public …
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