Author Archives: Sylvia Morris

Devine and Wanamaker: two giants of the theatre

Last Tuesday I heard the stories of two men who each played crucial roles in the twentieth-century theatre, born within a few years of each other, but while one is a household name, the other is often overlooked. These men … Continue reading

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Reaping the harvest: growing food in Shakespeare’s England and our own

With the weather on the turn and autumn just around the corner, there’s just time to celebrate the joys of gardening and farming edible plants. This blog post, A Field Guide to Renaissance Gardens, offers some glorious images of sumptuous … Continue reading

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Royal Shakespeare Company plans for 2014

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s plans for the summer 2014 season have just been released and mailings are being received by members. It’s Artistic Director Gregory Doran’s first full season, and he continues to carry out his promise to perform the … Continue reading

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To sell or not to sell: Shakespeare folios in the news

At the beginning of last week I started hearing rumours that a set of the four Shakespeare folios (complete works published in the seventeenth century) was to be sold. A spokesman from the Library attempted to justify the decision: “We … Continue reading

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Warwickshire witchcraft: Macbeth and the mystery of Meon Hill

“And over there, the hill with the flat top, that’s Meon Hill”. The guide at the top of the RSC’s tower didn’t need to say more, knowing we were locals. With our guest for the weekend we were admiring the … Continue reading

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The great feast of language: English language and Shakespeare

On the morning of 3rd September 2013 the new Library of Birmingham will be declared open. Just 24 hours in advance, it was announced that it will be opened not by a politician or member of the Royal Family but … Continue reading

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“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date”: the end of the holidays

26 August was the Summer Bank Holiday in the UK, the last official holiday until Christmas. And the end of August, though still summer, always feels like the end of the holiday season. Holidays have very different meanings to us … Continue reading

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Playing Shakespeare’s and Ibsen’s heroines: the career of Janet Achurch

After Shakespeare’s, Henrik Ibsen’s plays are the most-performed dramas ever written. They were immediately popular and were produced around the world even during his lifetime. Set in his native Norway, the plays explored what lay behind the strict moral regime … Continue reading

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Richard II and Edward II take the stage

Next week rehearsals begin for the most high-profile event of the RSC’s year, Richard II starring David Tennant, directed by Artistic Director Gregory Doran. There is a lot of information on the RSC’s website including a brief interview with Tennant, … Continue reading

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Shakespeare’s collaborators in the Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre

After far too long being seen in isolation, Shakespeare is increasingly seen as but one of many writers of the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods. Just recently there have been many studies looking at those other writers who inspired … Continue reading

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