Othello (Donmar) @ The Donmar Warehouse
December 16, 2007
Much has been made in the press of Michael Grandage’s new production of Othello for the Donmar, mostly to do with the selling-on price of tickets. Reportedly, tickets have been changing hands for £1200, making this officially the hottest ticket in London. The question is, is it really worth it? Well, of course it’s not, …
The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare Institute Players) @ The Shakespeare Institute
December 9, 2007
This is, without a doubt, the best value for money I have ever had for a play. Five pounds, which included three and a half glasses of wine. I can only hope professional companies take note… The main charm of the Shakespeare Institute Players’ production of The Taming of the Shrew is the informal and …
Edward II (CAPITAL) @ The CAPITAL Centre
December 6, 2007
With all the interest in Shakespeare’s history plays at the moment, it is perhaps surprising that Marlowe’s precursor to the cycles, Edward II, hasn’t received more attention. Julia Ihnatowicz’s new production for the CAPITAL Centre, redresses this, visually echoing the RSC’s Histories Cycle to create an effective prologue that draws clear links with Shakespeare’s works …
Invisible Bonfires (Rough Magyck) @ Warwick Arts Centre
November 6, 2007
I’ve accused productions and theatre companies of many things before now, but never before of being lazy. Unfortunately, that’s the crime Forkbeard Fantasy appear to have committed in their latest production, Invisible Bonfires . Some months back I reviewed their production Rough Magyck at the Complete Works Festival, a wonderfully bizarre site-specific piece investigating the …
Henry V (RSC) @ The Courtyard Theatre
November 1, 2007
The final hurdle! The RSC Histories project is finally trundling to an end with the opening of Henry V, the eighth and final production in the sequence. It’s hard not to have high expectations. Despite a couple of blips (particularly 1 Henry IV) the project has been a resounding success, the ensemble producing some wonderful …
Love’s Labour’s Lost @ Shakespeare’s Globe
October 8, 2007
I’m starting to come round to the idea that there is no place for comedy quite like Shakespeare’s Globe. While many critics have a good many negative things to say about the Globe audiences, there is no denying the spirit and atmosphere of the place. A production is almost immediately rendered ten times funnier than …
Macbeth (Chichester Festival) @ The Gielgud Theatre
Have you ever left the room during a cup final to hear the roars behind you telling you you’ve just missed the crucial goal? Or left a gig early only to be told about the secret encore afterwards? Or gone to see your favourite actor in a play only to find out the understudy’s had …
I Am Shakespeare @ Warwick Arts Centre
October 5, 2007
Before I even begin, I would like to separate this play from the authorship debate. Mark Rylance, former artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe and generally famous actor, is one of the most committed members of the anti-Stratfordian group, intent on questioning the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays. Rylance’s personal conviction is that Francis Bacon is the …
Twelfth Night (RSC) @ The Courtyard Theatre
September 5, 2007
I’m of the opinion that Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s greatest pieces of work. It’s funny, deep, very clever and features some of the greatest characters in the canon. Its immediate appeal is apparent from the number of productions of the play put on every year. The last twelve months alone have seen Filter, …
Henry IV Part II (RSC) @ The Courtyard Theatre
August 16, 2007
After the disappointment of Michael Boyd’s Henry IV Part I, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Richard Twyman’s Henry IV Part II is a joy to watch. Fast, funny, moving, integrated and with a unique character and flavour of its own, this production comes with a massive sigh of relief, rekindling my faith …
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