Monthly Archives: March 2015

Celebrating Shakespeare with Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh is best known as one of his generation’s finest Shakespearean actors and directors for both stage and film, so his latest project, a sweetly traditional film of the fairy tale Cinderella, comes as something of a surprise. It … Continue reading

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Museums of the future, engaging with the past

This week, 23-29 March 2015, Museums have been celebrating Museums Week, and promoting their collections and services. By coincidence the big news for lovers of culture has been the reburial of the remains of King Richard III, making a strong … Continue reading

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Still looking for the truth about Richard III: who did kill the princes in the tower?

Like many thousands of others I visited Leicester on Monday 23 March 2015 to file past the coffined remains of Richard III before they are reinterred in the Cathedral on Thursday. People waited up to four hours, and many in … Continue reading

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Shakespeare and the Greeks

Every few years the tragedies of ancient Greece seem to come back into fashion, and just now, in 2015, several theatres are staging revivals or adaptations of these powerful ancient plays. On 24 March the Almeida’s new season goes on … Continue reading

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“These late eclipses”: the moon, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and happiness

On the morning of Friday 20 March the UK will experience a near-total eclipse of the sun. Even where skies are not clear, the sky will darken and we will experience a sort of twilight. The birds will fall silent until … Continue reading

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Shakespeare Week 2015

We’re right in the middle of Shakespeare Week, running from 16-22 March. There have been Shakespeare weeks before, but last year, in 2014, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust embarked on a mission to give primary school children a great first encounter … Continue reading

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Votes for women: Shakespeare and the suffragettes

Last time I looked at the suffrage movement in Stratford, and its connections with the Shakespeare festivals. Both in Stratford and elsewhere in the early twentieth century Shakespeare’s plays provoked discussion about the suffragette cause. Not all of Shakespeare’s women … Continue reading

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Shakespeare, suffrage, and Stratford-upon-Avon

This week, 8-13 March, International Women’s Week has been celebrated around the world with an examination of the achievements of women and progress towards gender equality. Amanda Vickery’s three-part television series Suffragettes Forever! has documented the history of the struggle … Continue reading

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Laying King Richard III to rest in Leicester

The remains of King Richard III will at last be reburied at Leicester Cathedral on Thursday 26 March 2015. Over 100 events and activities will begin on Friday 20 March and will continue over the weekend following the ceremony. It’s … Continue reading

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Shakespeare, culture, and a policy for the arts

Knowing the exact date in May 2015 of the next General Election has provoked discussions on topics that don’t get an airing during the usual month of campaigning before the big day. Recently, the arts has been the subject of these debates.  … Continue reading

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