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Category Archives: Sources
The Comedy of Errors
The RSC’s Shipwreck trilogy is subtitled “What country friends is this?” and in the production of The Comedy of Errors directed by the Palestinian Amir Nizar Zuabi, it’s a question that the audience might easily find themselves asking. Set in … Continue reading
Performance history and the critic: Michael Billington’s point of view
A week or so ago Michael Billington of the Guardian, the UK’s most respected theatre critic, and now on twitter @billicritic, wrote a piece about his job. He talked about the challenges of writing a piece that takes into account … Continue reading
Lawyers inspiring Shakespeare
Among the beautiful Tudor portraits at the National Portrait Gallery is this one of a dignified elder stateman, Thomas Sackville, painted around 1601 by J de Critz the Elder. The label, as well as detailing his role in government, mentions … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World, Sources
Tagged Gorboduc, Hamlet, Hanery VI Part 3, Inns of court, King Lear, Shakespeare, Thomas Sackville, tragedy
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Is Hamlet a callous, egocentric villain?
According to author John Updike, “Hamlet is in fact the callous, egocentric villain of Hamlet”. This view was recently quoted in a posting on the Shakespeare Bulletin board SHAKSPER. That’s quite a condemnation of probably the most famous of all … Continue reading
Henry V, star of England
31 August is the anniversary of the death of that “star of England”, King Henry V. He died in France, where he had been on a military campaign to capture more of the country, in 1422 aged only 35. If … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare on Stage, Sources
Tagged Adrian Lester, Henry V, Henry VI Part 1, Holinshed, Kenneth Branagh, Laurence Olivier, Shakespeare
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Living monuments: Shakespeare’s epitaphs
I’d never heard of the little village of Tong and its church until recently when some visiting relatives mentioned its Shakespeare connections. So I paid a visit to this tiny village in Shropshire to find out more. The church is sometimes … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World, Sources
Tagged Earl of Derby, epitaph, grave, Lord Stange, monument, Plutarch, Richard III, Shakespeare, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Shropshire, Stanley, Tong, Vernon
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Was Shakespeare a soldier?
The one-man play Being Shakespeare is just reaching the end of its run at the Trafalgar Studios. It’s a real tour de force by distinguished actor Simon Callow who switches effortlessly from narrative to speeches from Shakespeare’s plays, bringing characters … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World, Sources, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tagged As You Like it, Being Shakespeare. Simon Callow, Constable, Edgar Fripp, Henry IV, Jonathan Bate, muster rolls, Shakespeare, Shakespeare Centre Library and Archive, soldier, The Taming of the Shrew, Warwick
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Jane Austen and Shakespeare “blotting their papers”
It’s been an exciting few days for anyone interested in manuscript versions of literary works. At Sotheby’s on 14 July a large number of magnificent manuscripts written by some of the most famous names of English literature was auctioned. Items … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Sources
Tagged Bodleian Library, British Library, digitisation, Jane Austen, literary, manuscripts, original, Shakespeare
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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
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