Monthly Archives: April 2013

Shakespeare and the case for subsidy

I’ve only been away for a few days, but on return have found many Shakespeare-related stories to catch up on. There have been two major press nights, Othello at the National Theatre, As You Like It at the RSC. These … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare on Stage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Shakespeare and the case for subsidy

John Gilbert Cooper and the Bard of Avon

A couple of weeks ago David Frankel from the University of South Florida put an enquiry onto the Shakespeare noticeboard site SHAKSPER asking if anyone knew when the term “Bard of Avon” was first applied to Shakespeare. I replied with … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on John Gilbert Cooper and the Bard of Avon

Marie Corelli, the Avon and her Venetian gondola

On Saturday, 27 April Mason’s Croft, now the Shakespeare Institute, is celebrating the life of another of Stratford-upon-Avon’s writers, Marie Corelli. The event is part of Stratford’s Literary Festival, and Mason’s Croft was the Victorian novelist’s home from 1901 to … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy, Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Marie Corelli, the Avon and her Venetian gondola

Shakespeare projects are launched

The week of Shakespeare’s Birthday is a good time for a launch, and the Shakespearean London Theatres project ShaLT is doing just that. The project aims, to quote the website, to ” increase public awareness of these sites and to … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Shakespeare projects are launched

Celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday in his own town

This weekend is the most important of the year for Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare’s life and works are celebrated with a whole range of events, but the most important is the parade which this year takes place on Saturday morning, 20 April, … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy, Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Othello, Iago and the search for character

The National Theatre’s new production of Othello is beginning its previews this week. Starring Adrian Lester as Othello, the Henry V from a few years ago, and Rory Kinnear as Iago, who has recently played Hamlet, both at the National, … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare on Stage | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Othello, Iago and the search for character

Science versus alchemy

The BBC’s series The Genius of Invention carried on, this week with a major documentary on the greatest of scientists, Isaac Newton . But the documentary revealed a more complicated side to Newton: not just the logical man who made … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare's World | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Science versus alchemy

From crumhorns to waterphone: Music for Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s use of music is always a popular subject, but just now it seems to be everywhere. Shakespeare’s Globe is hosting a conference on Shakespeare, music and performance from 3-5 May, which will include input from major academics as well … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare on Stage, Shakespeare's World | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on From crumhorns to waterphone: Music for Shakespeare

Theatres for Shakespeare

What is the ideal theatre, or stage, for Shakespeare? It’s a question that theatre people have been addressing for centuries. Shakespeare didn’t write exclusively for the Globe, and even though it was  purpose-built by Shakespeare’s company in 1599 I don’t … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare on Stage, Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Theatres for Shakespeare

Richard Griffiths, stage actor of many parts

One evening last week, at 7.28pm, just before performances were due to begin, all the theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue in London simultaneously dimmed their lights. This traditional tribute to an actor who has recently died is carried out only rarely, but … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Shakespeare on Stage | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment