Monthly Archives: January 2015

Richard III’s final journey

It’s almost two years since it was announced live on national TV that the skeleton discovered under a car park in Leicester was indeed that of King Richard III, killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. I watched the … Continue reading

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Italy and the Italians in Shakespeare

The English have been fascinated by Italy for centuries, never more so than during the period in which Shakespeare lived. Sir Henry Wotton, who represented King James as the English Ambassador to Venice from 1604, was more knowledgeable than most. … Continue reading

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Shakespeare in London

With the ending of the RSC’s London season of the two Henry IV plays, performances of Shakespeare’s plays in the capital are currently a little few and far between. Shakespeare’s Globe is taking its winter break, and the new Sam … Continue reading

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Shakespeare in stamps

A few weeks ago the Royal Mail launched a celebration of fifty years of “special stamps”. They claim “Before 1965, ‘Commemorative Stamps’ were issued occasionally and mostly for Royal and Postal events and anniversaries. New Postmaster General Tony Benn revised the … Continue reading

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Speaking Shakespeare’s tragic verse

Last week Professor Tiffany Stern spoke at Stratford-upon-Avon’s Shakespeare Club on the subject of tragic performances on Shakespeare’s stage. She was struck by the way that writers tended to describe tragedies differently from other dramatic genres. Her thoughts on tragic … Continue reading

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Vivien Leigh, Shakespeare’s lass unparalleled

In the theatre gardens in Stratford-upon-Avon is a silver birch tree planted in memory of Vivien Leigh, one of several dedicated to people who have worked at the theatres. At its base is a stone tablet, with her dates of birth … Continue reading

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Setting Tudor-fans hearts a-fluttering: Wolf Hall and Shakespeare again

On 21 January 2015 the BBC’s 6-part adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Man Booker Prize-winning novels about Thomas Cromwell, Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies, begins. Jane Garvey, in Woman’s Hour, said it had “set Tudor-fans hearts a-fluttering”, and publishers … Continue reading

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Holding the mirror up to nature: acting for a living

Shakespeare knew a thing or two about acting: he observed the struggles of the inexperienced as well as writing guidelines for professionals. In real life the amateur prince Hamlet’s advice might have been unwanted, but as author, actor and theatre shareholder Shakespeare … Continue reading

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Standing up for freedom: the Library of Birmingham and Charlie Hebdo

In September 2013 Malala Yousafzai opened the brand new Library of Birmingham with a speech which has since been quoted many times. “And let us not forget that even one book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change … Continue reading

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Shakespeare, King John and Magna Carta in 2015

Listening to Melvyn Bragg’s series on Radio 4 celebrating the history of Magna Carta, 800 this year, I realise how little I know about the document and the historical background to Shakespeare’s play King John. By the end of 2015 … Continue reading

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