Author Archives: Sylvia Morris

The legend of Herne’s Oak

The Merry Wives of Windsor is set in the depth of winter, the season Shakespeare associates with eating, drinking, telling stories, singing, and practical jokes. It’s also  one of the few plays for which Shakespeare invented the plot, and he … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy, Plays and Poems | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

E-Learning and the use of digital resources

Enabling the study of  Shakespeare, especially by making available resources to students of all kinds was the focus of my professional life as a librarian working at The Shakespeare Centre Library and Archive. But over the past year I’ve become … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Women in the theatre: what next after Julius Caesar?

Phyllida Lloyd’s all-female production of Julius Caesar has now opened to great reviews: here are two from the Guardian and the Observer. More information, including an image gallery, is available on the Donmar Warehouse’s website. The production has created quite … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare on Stage | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Measure for Measure, Pericles and Leveson

O place and greatness … millions of false eyes Are stuck upon thee: volumes of report Run with these false and most contrarious quests Upon thy doings: thousand escapes of wit Make thee the father of their idle dream, And … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Adapting Shakespeare’s Henry VI: The Wars of the Roses

Until a few years ago the Henry VI plays were rarely performed, especially outside Stratford-upon-Avon, so the news that next year Shakespeare’s Globe is going to be touring the plays to venues in the UK is to be welcomed. I’ve … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy, Plays and Poems, Shakespeare on Stage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Discussing the evidence for Shakespeare’s Theatre: Andrew Gurr, Stanley Wells and Reg Foakes

The Who Invented the “Shakespearean Theatre”? conference held recently at the University of Reading ended with a round table discussion between senior academics Andrew Gurr, Stanley Wells and Reg Foakes. Over the past fifty years these three have probably written … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Shakespeare on Stage, Shakespeare's World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Shakespeare among the Courtesans

Since Eric Partridge’s 1968 book Shakespeare’s Bawdy the subject of sex in Shakespeare has been commonplace. With titles including words like “desire”, “eroticism”, and “sexuality” the reader knows what to expect, but both the jacket image and the title of … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Shakespeare's World | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Shakespeare among the Courtesans

The Sam Wanamaker Theatre

Major congratulations are due to Shakespeare’s Globe, where the building of their new indoor theatre has just begun. It has just been announced, here and here, that the theatre will be named after the man who devoted himself to the creation … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare on Stage, Shakespeare's World | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

C Walter Hodges and Shakespeare’s Theatre

I spent Saturday at the conference Who invented the “Shakespearean theatre”?, held at the University of Reading. I wrote about the conference in advance,  and I’ll be writing more about the conference in a later blog (or two), but just now … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare's World | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Chaos, Jack Cade and the men of Kent

But then are we in order when we are most out of order. This contradictory line is spoken by the rebel Jack Cade in Shakespeare’s play Henry VI part 2. In his very first history play Shakespeare chose to explore … Continue reading

Share
Posted in Shakespeare on Stage, Shakespeare's World, Sources | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Chaos, Jack Cade and the men of Kent