Category Archives: Shakespeare on Stage

Theatres for Shakespeare

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

What is the ideal theatre, or stage, for Shakespeare? It’s a question that theatre people have been addressing for centuries. Shakespeare didn’t write exclusively for the Globe, and even though it was  purpose-built by Shakespeare’s company in 1599 I don’t … Continue reading →

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Richard Griffiths, stage actor of many parts

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

One evening last week, at 7.28pm, just before performances were due to begin, all the theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue in London simultaneously dimmed their lights. This traditional tribute to an actor who has recently died is carried out only rarely, but … Continue reading →

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Birmingham’s theatre archives and Shakespeare

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

One of the sessions I most enjoyed at the Birmingham REP 100 celebration weekend was Gwendolen Whitaker’s lecture on the Rep’s archives and the stories which they are telling. With my own background in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s archives I’m … Continue reading →

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Memories of Hamlet in performance

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

For about a year I’ve been thinking about recording people’s memories of Shakespeare in performance, and at last I’ve got some results to share. In April 2012’s Shakespeare Association of America conference I heard paper after paper by Shakespeare scholars … Continue reading →

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The Hollow Crown: popularising Shakespeare on TV

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

Whenever an actor best known for film or TV work is cast to perform in Shakespeare there’s always a debate about whether celebrity casting is a good or a bad thing. Should, in particular, theatres, employ celebrities in an obvious … Continue reading →

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Looking back and forward: the Birmingham Rep at 100

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

I spent Saturday in Birmingham, at the Old Repertory Theatre in Station  Street, which this year celebrates its centenary. A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog about the history of Barry Jackson’s great theatre. The keynote speech was … Continue reading →

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Henry V, Edwards’ Boys and World War 1

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

This past weekend an extraordinary series of performances of Henry V has been staged in Stratford-upon-Avon, for once almost unrelated to the RSC or the SBT, the leading Shakespeare organisations in the town, but all to do with Shakespeare’s school, … Continue reading →

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Celebrating Barry Jackson at the Birmingham Rep and the Shakespeare Memorial

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

This year the Birmingham Repertory Theatre celebrates its centenary, and over the weekend of 23 and 24 March there is to be a series of talks, discussions and an exhibition to be held at the original theatre in Station Street. … Continue reading →

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Shakespeare’s Hamlet: productions for their own time

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

This week the actor Jonathan Slinger, who in the last 10 years has played many of Shakespeare’s leading roles including Richard III, Prospero and Macbeth, is taking on  Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Any new production is always met … Continue reading →

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Seeking A Midsummer Night’s Dream in “the winds of March”

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

It’s the beginning of March and signs of spring are still few and far between after a long and dreary winter. What does the dedicated Shakespeare-lover need to cheer themselves up? A Midsummer Night’s Dream, of course! And of course … Continue reading →

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