Cardenio (RSC) @ The Swan Theatre, Stratford–upon–Avon
April 24, 2011
Writing about web page http://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/cardenio/ "Shakespeare’s ‘Lost Play’ Re-Imagined" runs the tag-line to this, the first full-scale new production in the Swan Theatre since its re-opening. The absence of John Fletcher (let alone Lewis Theobald) from this tag is perhaps inevitable given the RSC’s priorities, although both are fully credited within the wider publicity material. …
Shakespeare music on the radio
April 23, 2011
I get circulars sent to me from time to time, but thought I’d post this one seeing as it’s now the 23rd and, officially, Will’s birthday. Their words, not mine, so don’t come complaining if you don’t like the playlist! This weekend marks what may have been Shakespeare’s 447th birthday, and Classical 105.9 FM WQXR …
Bond (Taiwan BangZi Opera) @ The Hyatt Regency, Bellevue
April 11, 2011
You’ll notice that Bellevue is off my normal reviewing route. While attending the annual meeting of the Shakespeare Association of America just outside Seattle this week, I took the opportunity to catch a special performance by the extremely prestigious Taiwan Banzi Opera Company of Bond, its retelling of The Merchant of Venice. The scheduling of …
The Rape of Lucrece (RSC Studio) @ The Swan Theatre
April 2, 2011
The Rape of Lucrece was last staged at the Swan in 2006, as part of the Complete Works Festival. That production, directed by Greg Doran, was a relatively traditional reading of the poem, featuring five actors standing in a line with books in hand, each taking one of the poem’s “parts” and sharing narration. It …
The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory) @ The Tobacco Factory
March 31, 2011
Writing about web page http://sattf.org.uk/index.php?id=165 The Comedy of Errors is one of those few plays that fail to disappoint onstage. It’s inherently funny, fast, short and complex, and it’s hard to remove the basic entertainment value from it. However, the slew of Comedies I’ve seen over the last few years have shared what is, perhaps, …
The Tempest (Little Angel Theatre/RSC) @ The Swan Theatre
March 18, 2011
Writing about web page http://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/tempest/ What a treat to be back in the Swan. I haven’t been inside my favourite Stratford theatre since The Penelopiad back in 2007, and it’s wonderful to see it looking (on the inside, at any rate) exactly as it did before the closure, albeit with more comfortable seats. The first …
Hamlet The Clown Prince (The Company Theatre) @ Warwick Arts Centre Theatre
March 17, 2011
Writing about web page http://warwickartscentre.co.uk/events/theatre/hamlet-the-clown-prince This was my third Hamlet in a year with a running time under two hours, which is a trend I’m hugely appreciative of. This time it was a rare UK performance for Mumbai’s Company Theatre, with its brilliant and hugely entertaining take on the play through the medium of clowning. …
The Tempest (Cheek by Jowl/Chekhov International Drama Festival) @ Warwick Arts Centre
March 3, 2011
Writing about web page http://www.cheekbyjowl.com/the_tempest.php The Russians are back. Cheek by Jowl’s Russian wing have previously brought us wonderful versions of Twelfth Night, Three Sisters and Boris Gudonov, and a return to Shakespeare was extremely welcome. It’s a pleasure to report that the ensemble once again proved that there’s plenty of fresh insight to be …
To Will (Freshfest) @ The Dirty Duck, University of Warwick
February 27, 2011
A quick note about a short production I saw a couple of days ago. To Will was performed as part of a week-long new writing festival organised by Freshblood Theatre, one of Warwick’s many student drama societies. I didn’t see any programmes, unfortunately, so can’t recount the names of the actors, writer or director. To …
Gnomeo and Juliet (Rocket Productions) @ Showcase Cinema, Coventry
February 24, 2011
Writing about web page http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377981/ Film versions of Shakespeare are required, one way or another, to confront the docu-real potentiality of the medium in the transition from stage to screen. While a very few choose to exploit the possibilities for historical drama and lush scenography, the heightened language and inevitable familiarity of subject matter more …
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