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Author Archives: Sylvia Morris
Speaking of comfort: theatre, Shakespeare and the audience experience
When you go to the theatre, do you have your favourite seat? Many of us have a preference, to sit upstairs, or to be down near the stage, at any rate. Back in Shakespeare’s theatres you would have been able … Continue reading
Posted in Shakespeare on Stage, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tagged Lyn Gardner, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, SeatPlan, seats, sponsorship, theatre, Tim Sullivan, V&A
1 Comment
Hilary Mantel and Shakespeare: two tales of Henry VIII
I’ve only just got round to reading Hilary Mantel’s 2009 novel Wolf Hall, the first of a trilogy (the third part still being written) about the life of Thomas Cromwell. Both Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up the Bodies … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World, Sources
Tagged Bring up the Bodies, Henry VIII, Hilary Mantel, Man Booker prize, Thomas Cromwell, Wolf Hall, Wolsey
2 Comments
Exit, pursued by a bear? Bear-baiting in Shakespeare’s London
On Sunday 13 January 1583 one of the bear-baiting arenas that had stood on the Thames’s south bank collapsed. Bear-baiting was a popular spectacle for all kinds of people: both Henry VIII and Elizabeth 1 enjoyed the “sport” in which … Continue reading
Posted in Shakespeare's World
Tagged animal-baiting, arenas, Bear Garden, bears, Dave Saxby, jackanapes, Julian Bowsher, King Henry VIII, MOLA, Queen Elizabeth
1 Comment
Was 2012 Shakespeare’s year?
2012 was the year of the World Shakespeare Festival, the biggest celebration of Shakespeare ever, when this early-modern writer was to be proclaimed a global superstar, as if he wasn’t already one of the most-recognised faces, and the most-performed playwright, … Continue reading
Comic artists with a sense of Shakespeare’s poetry: Des Barrit and George R Weir
This week I finally caught up with the RSC’s joyful production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. It was the company’s grown-up Christmas extravaganza and if you have the chance, there are still a couple of performances which are guaranteed … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare on Stage, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tagged Benson window, clowns, Des Barrit, George R Weir, The Earth Awakes, The Merry Wives of Windsor
Comments Off on Comic artists with a sense of Shakespeare’s poetry: Des Barrit and George R Weir
Brian Cox’s Titus Andronicus: “the greatest stage performance I’ve ever given”
Earlier in the week an interview with Brian Cox (the actor not the scientist) was published in which he commented that the production of Titus Andronicus in the Swan Theatre in 1987 was “the most interesting thing I’ve ever done … Continue reading
Shakespeare’s blasts of January
When icicles hang by the wall And Dick the shepherd blows his nail And Tom bears logs into the hall And milk comes frozen home in pail, When blood is nipp’d and ways be foul, Then nightly sings the staring … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World
Tagged Breughel, British Library, Love's Labour's Lost, Nicholas Breton, Thomas Tusser, winter
Comments Off on Shakespeare’s blasts of January
Celebrating Shakespeare at the turn of the year
As it’s the end of the year I want to thank readers of The Shakespeare blog for making it such a success. During 2012 the blog has had over 67,000 visits and over 100,000 page views. 239 of you have … Continue reading
“New-fangled shows”: Christmas and the Rose Theatre
Christmas must have been anything but relaxing for Shakespeare when he was at the height of his career. Instead of putting his feet up in front of a roaring fire with a warming drink in his hand, he was hard … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare's World
Tagged 1599, Christmas, court, Elizabeth 1, Gregory Doran, Henslowe, James Shapiro, Richmond, Rose Theatre
Comments Off on “New-fangled shows”: Christmas and the Rose Theatre
Medieval images of Christmas-time
As it’s Christmas, the darkest time of the year I’m putting on the Shakespeare blog a few images drawn from the British Library’s Illuminated Manuscripts stunningly beautiful collection. Thousands of images are now online: the connections to Shakespeare are a … Continue reading
Posted in Shakespeare's World
Tagged Book of Hours, British Library, illuminated manuscripts, London, medieval, roses
3 Comments