Monthly Archives: July 2013

Juliet’s birthday: Shakespeare and Lammas-tide

Lammas Day, 1 August, was an important day in the calendar, but for Shakespeare-lovers Lammas Eve, 31 July, is the more significant because it was the day of Juliet’s birth. Juliet is one of the few Shakespearean characters whose age and … Continue reading

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Summertime Shakespeare projects

It’s only a month since I wrote a round-up covering some of the new developments and forthcoming events, but, well, it’s been a busy month. First off, and probably the publication that’s got the most attention, is the new book … Continue reading

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Digital Shakespeare: asking questions about the future

Earlier this week I attended a day of discussions at the University of Nottingham on  Digital Shakespeare, with the subtitle authorship and authority. One of a series of workshops, practitioners and academics were there to share ideas and discuss the … Continue reading

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Shakespeare’s first female critic: Margaret Cavendish

Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, is one of the less well-known early commentators on Shakespeare, yet her “Sociable Letter” on Shakespeare, published in 1664, is “the first critical essay ever to be published on Shakespeare”. This judgement appears in Women … Continue reading

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Shakespeare’s royal babies

Waking up this morning to the news that Kate has been admitted to hospital in the early stages of labour I cursed myself for not having a blog post about royal babies all ready to go. It has been after … Continue reading

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Taking Hamlet to the world: Dominic Dromgoole’s “lunatic idea”

You have to hand it to Dominic Dromgoole, the Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe: he’s not afraid of a challenge. Looking to beat the 2012 Globe to Globe Festival project, his latest scheme is to take Hamlet on World Tour, … Continue reading

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World Listening Day: Shakespeare in concert

Today is World Listening Day, and although it’s mostly focused on hearing music and the sounds of nature, there is also a link with Shakespeare. Earlier this week a journalist, Rupert Christiansen, wrote a piece in the Telegraph expressing his wish … Continue reading

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Walking with Shakespeare: the new Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon app

When I chose the sub-title for this blog, I picked “In Shakespeare’s footsteps” partly to suggest that I would be following, rather than stating my own opinions, but also because I love walking. There’s something about the act of putting … Continue reading

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Kenneth Branagh’s Macbeth: an interpretation for our times?

Sir Kenneth Branagh’s “electrifying” and “immersive” production of Macbeth is the current hot Shakespeare ticket, playing for just a month in a disused church in Manchester that seats only 250 people. It’s ensured that Manchester’s International Festival has received worldwide … Continue reading

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Shakespeare and the sweet of the year

This week the UK is experiencing the warmest weather of the year. Whether it’s because last year was so disappointing, or because spring arrived so late,  summer is bringing with it an explosion of blooms with, it seems to me, … Continue reading

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