The Shoemaker’s Holiday (Black Sun) @ The Dell, Stratford–upon–Avon
August 9, 2010
Writing about web page http://www.blacksuntheatre.com/ Since its institution during the Complete Works Festival, the Stratford open air festival at the Dell has become an annual event, offering free theatre to Stratford passers-by. While it’s now relocated slightly further along the river, the spirit of the outdoor performances has remained the same: accessible, entertaining and pleasantly …
The Comedy of Errors @ Shakespeare’s Globe
July 28, 2010
That’ll teach me to let the weather affect my theatre-going. I was booked in to see the Globe’s touring production of Comedy of Errors at Coventry Cathedral on Monday night, but after a very poor work day and with the weather looking extremely gloomy, I decided to pass on my tickets. The plan was, instead, …
Double Falsehood (Warwick Shakespeare Society) @ Warwick Arts Centre
June 27, 2010
Today was the Warwick Shakespeare Society’s rehearsed reading of Double Falsehood, which I’ve been involved in as a sort of dramaturg. I’ve already covered the rehearsal process in detail here, here and here, so this is just a quick note on the final performance, which I was finally able to sit down and enjoy. I …
Arden of Faversham (Em–Lou Productions) @ The Rose Theatre Bankside
June 23, 2010
The programme for this year’s second Arden of Faversham, at the Rose in Bankside, advertises it as "England’s Oldest Tragic Comedy" (as opposed to tragicomedy, which of course the play is emphatically not). While tragic comedy sounds like something Bottom might put on, it’s not a bad description of a play which is unavoidably funny …
Women Beware Women (National) @ The Olivier, London
June 9, 2010
Following The Revenger’s Tragedy a couple of summers back, Middleton is back on the Olivier stage, this time in the guise of Women Beware Women. Not only is this my favourite play by my favourite writer, but it’s directed by the wonderful Marianne Elliott with a stellar cast. Expectations, then, were somewhat high. And yet, …
Henry VIII @ Shakespeare’s Globe
Since Dominic Dromgoole took over at Shakespeare’s Globe, the prioritisation of the "house dramatist" over all others has disappointingly extended to the exclusion of plays by his contemporaries from the repertory – a real shame, as this was one of the features that used to make the Globe such an important venue from an academic …
Antony and Cleopatra (RSC) @ The Courtyard Theatre
May 18, 2010
Writing about web page http://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/antony-and-cleopatra/ Michael Boyd’s Antony and Cleopatra follows interestingly from Lucy Bailey’s Julius Caesar, the resident ensemble’s last foray into the Roman histories. While the retention of Darrell D’Silva as Mark Antony may have initially suggested a continuity between the two productions, Boyd’s Antony was in many ways the polar opposite of …
Twelfth Night (National Theatre Primary Classics) @ Warwick Arts Centre
May 5, 2010
Writing about web page http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/39017/primary-classics/primary-classics.html The Primary Classics series is an important part of the National Theatre’s youth work. You can argue till you’re blue in the face about the politics of canon, the centrality of Shakespeare as a "necessary" component of primary education, and whether there aren’t a great many more worthwhile theatrical projects …
Macbeth @ Shakespeare’s Globe
May 2, 2010
Writing about web page http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/theatre/annualtheatreseason/macbeth/ Lucy Bailey’s recent outings at Shakespeare’s Globe have been some of the biggest highlights of the theatre’s annual season. Last year’s Timon of Athens, in particular, made amazing, innovatory use of the space to create a theatrical experience that was total and participatory, creating something theatrically effective over any sense …
Macbeth (Cheek by Jowl) @ Silk Street Theatre, The Barbican
April 2, 2010
Writing about web page http://www.cheekbyjowl.com/productions/macbeth/index.html I loved Cheek by Jowl’s new production of Macbeth, and yet, as I left it, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed, for I was beginning to wonder whether the company may have lost their ability to change my world. If you’ve seen any of the company’s previous productions, …
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