The Beggar’s Opera (Vanishing Point) @ The Belgrade Theatre
October 21, 2009
Writing about web page http://www.belgrade.co.uk/site/scripts/show_details.php?showID=367 A recurring complaint raised at the recent reviewing conference was the tendency of reviews to prioritise directorial concept over all else, at the detriment of detailed discussion of acting, design, text and other elements. It’s a fair complaint, though perhaps inevitable when discussing productions of 16th, 17th and 18th century …
RSC 2010
October 12, 2009
Writing about web page http://www.rsc.org.uk/press/420_8861.aspx The RSC’s plans for 2010 have been announced in a little more detail now, and it’s looking to be an interesting year! On the Shakespeare front, David Farr’s Lear should be interesting, particularly as it’s the first play this ensemble are performing that is usually a star vehicle. Rupert Goold’s …
All’s Well that Ends Well (NT Live) @ Warwick Arts Centre Cinema
October 2, 2009
Writing about web page http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=52899 Nicholas Hytner, in an interview with Alex Jennings that preceded the National Theatre’s second NT Live broadcast, qualified the expectations for this experimental programme in a way which chimed more with my own expectations. The broadcast of Phedre back in June was preceded by rather hyperbolic and over-ambitious suggestions that …
Autumn shows
September 17, 2009
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 …
Reviewing Shakespearian Theatre conference @ The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
September 14, 2009
I normally discuss academic conferences over on my PhD blog, but the unique theme of this particular conference – and its implications for my work – means it merits inclusion within the Bardathon’s remit. Seeing as it’s been very quiet here on the reviewing front (very few new openings in my area, and I’ve been …
Troilus and Cressida @ Shakespeare’s Globe
August 21, 2009
Writing about web page http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/theatre/annualtheatreseason/troiluscressida/ For a play that, on first publication, was described as "never stal’d with the Stage, never clapper-clawd with the palmes of the vulger", Troilus and Cressida worked astonishingly well at the Globe in Matthew Dunster’s new production. Funny, moving, disquieting and exciting by turns, this consistently interesting production made the …
Reviewing Shakespearean Theatre conference
August 19, 2009
Writing about web page http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/907/648/ On September 5th-6th, I’ll be taking part in the Reviewing Shakespearean Theatre Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon. My favourite kind of conference, this will bring together academics and practitioners in the field from around the world, and hopefully provoke some extremely interesting discussion on the art of reviewing. My paper is one …
Titania’s Dream
August 17, 2009
Writing about web page http://www.rosetheatrekingston.org/whats-on/dream The Rose have made an early start advertising what is, no doubt, going to be the first sure-fire hot sell of 2010. Judi Dench is starring as Titania in their new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Peter Hall. Dream is a heavily ensemble drama. If there’s a …
Hamlet (Donmar West End) @ Wyndham’s Theatre
July 19, 2009
I booked to see the Donmar’s major new Hamlet some eighteen months ago, taking an unusual step for me by paying top whack to get front row stalls seats. The idea was that this would be an end of year treat, a production I was going to purely for fun. That was back when Kenneth …
The Comedy of Errors (RSC Young People’s Shakespeare) @ The Courtyard Theatre
July 12, 2009
Since the launch of the "Stand Up For Shakespeare" manifesto a couple of years ago, the RSC has been remarkably tenacious in promoting its educational work alongside its core productions. While always an important part of the company’s remit, the Education Department has recently stepped confidently into the limelight, with events such as the Regional …
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