Author Archives: Sylvia Morris

William Blake and creativity in science and the arts

What is creativity and where does it come from? Is there a place for creativity in science? Shakespeare was one of the most creative of people, but the mysteries of his talent are impossible to pin down. William Blake, (1757-1827) … Continue reading

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Stratford-upon-Avon projects 2016: a new collaboration

Earlier in the week I wrote about some of the projects in Stratford-upon-Avon timed for completion at the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in April 2016. The Royal Shakespeare Company and Birmingham University have also announced a five-year collaboration centred on … Continue reading

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“Let me see your archery”: from deadly conflict to courtly leisure

More than one scene in the TV series Wolf Hall has shown gentlemen and ladies of the court of Henry VIII practicing archery as a pastime. And in Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost the Princess of France and her ladies take aim … Continue reading

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Celebrating 2016 in Stratford-upon-Avon: preparations begin

2016 will be the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, and preparations are well under way to celebrate in the town where he was born and died. Projects are afoot everywhere, and I’m going to write a couple of posts giving … Continue reading

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Shakespeare onstage 2015

In the last couple of weeks lots of announcements for Shakespeare productions in the UK  in 2015 have been made, and booking opened. This post contains links to just some of what’s going to be on offer this year. It’s … Continue reading

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The mystery of Mr W H

The headline read: “Has the mystery of Shakespeare’s sonnets finally been solved?” My thought was – which one? The sonnets are puzzling in many ways. Do they tell  a real story, or are they purely fictional? What order were they … Continue reading

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Michael Wood and “Mary Arden: a Tudor Life”

The BBC’s serialisation of Hilary Mantel’s novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies is proving grippingly good. To complement these programmes about “the glittering –though at times terrifying- world of the Tudor court” a new documentary on more ordinary … Continue reading

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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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