Monthly Archives: June 2011

Kevin Spacey as Richard III, the “cunning, conniving, charismatic king”

One of this summer’s hottest theatre tickets will be Kevin Spacey’s performance as Shakespeare’s most famous villain Richard III, currently previewing at the Old Vic in London.  In a Radio interview with Spacey and his director, Sam Mendes it’s clear … Continue reading

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Unearthing Shakespeare: Good friend for Jesus sake forbear

Why is there such fascination with the idea of exhuming Shakespeare? People who want to do so always claim they will find something exciting out by doing so. The current crop of hopefuls, as recorded by the Stratford Herald, BBC … Continue reading

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Greatest Shakespeare speeches in performance

    When I put up my list of top ten Shakespeare speeches I promised a second set of speeches which I associate with a particular performance.    My list provided a great subject for discussion during a long walk … Continue reading

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Macbeth: what happens next?

So what does happen after the end of Macbeth? For Shakespeare, needing a politically-acceptable conclusion, the answer was straightforward, Malcolm filling the vacuum left by the death of the tyrant and his queen.  David Greig, in his new play Dunsinane, has … Continue reading

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream: lost in the forest

It’s the longest day of the year, a time when our ancestors believed the supernatural came particularly close to the human. So where does Shakespeare set his play where, on Midsummer night, the world as we know it gets turned … Continue reading

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Shakespeare’s fathers: nature or nurture?

It’s Father’s Day in the UK today, and the prime minister, David Cameron, is taking the opportunity to have a go at fathers who fail to take financial or emotional responsibility for their families. There are children growing up …who … Continue reading

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Shakespeare’s Avon, Act 4: river of life

The River Avon has always been of central importance to the town of Stratford and the area surrounding it. In Shakespeare’s day, it was an important artery for trade and a source of power (the mill is mentioned in the … Continue reading

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Reading in Shakespeare’s England

While on holiday in the English Lake District earlier this year I visited Townend, an old farmhouse in the village of Troutbeck, now in the care of the National Trust.  It’s a rare survivor, a house lived in by the … Continue reading

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Shakespeare’s Avon, Act 3: David Garrick’s Jubilee

The story of Stratford’s rise from being a typical market town into an international tourist destination is often said to start in 1769 when the greatest actor of the day, David Garrick, put on a three-day celebration of Shakespeare. The fact … Continue reading

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More Ophelia contenders: Jane Shaxspere v. Katherine Hamlet and Margaret Clopton

Over the last couple of days Shakespeare’s inspiration for the death of Ophelia in Hamlet has provoked a surprising amount of media coverage. University of Oxford lecturer Dr Steven Gunn has been researching records of inquests at the National Archives, … Continue reading

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