Tag Archives: Hamlet

A Shakespeare miscellany

One of the most delightful results of writing this blog is receiving responses from people who are using Shakespeare creatively to build a project of their own. I’m always happy to share these projects with other readers. Here are some of the … Continue reading

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Peter Brook: from enfant terrible to grand old man of the theatre

Nobody has been more influential in the world of the theatre in the last 70 years than Peter Brook. And at the age of 88, he’s still involved, setting out his ideas about why theatre is so important. Shakespeare has … Continue reading

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Memories of Hamlet in performance

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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Shakespeare’s Hamlet: productions for their own time

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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Michael Attenborough and Shakespeare

Last week Stratford’s Shakespeare Club was lucky enough to be given a look into internationally-renowned director Michael Attenborough’s views of Shakespeare. Attenborough is currently Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre in London, though he is resigning from that post after … Continue reading

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Shakespeare and the Olympic arts of war

Although all sport is competitive, many of those which feature in the modern Olympics began as a way of training for warfare. Shakespeare brings several of them into his plays, including wrestling, archery and fencing. Self-defence sports wrestling and boxing date back to … Continue reading

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David Tennant’s Hamlet and screening Shakespeare on TV

Tucked away on the BBC2 TV schedule at 11.20 on Tuesday evening is the last of the Shakespeare Uncovered series, David Tennant on Hamlet. Not only does it feature David Tennant, whose own Hamlet for the RSC in 2008 was … Continue reading

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Peter O’Toole’s Shakespeare

The actor Peter O’Toole has recently announced his retirement from stage and screen, shortly before his 80th birthday. His reason? “The heart for it has gone out of me: it won’t come back.” It occurred to me that it’s unusual … Continue reading

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Tennis and football: ball games in Shakespeare’s England

The Olympics are still weeks away but we’re already awash with sporting events. Football’s Euro2012 is still in full swing, and today the nation’s annual two-week love affair with tennis, strawberries and cream begins at Wimbledon. Tennis and football are … Continue reading

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Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespeare

This year The Queen’s Birthday Honours list has recognised a bumper crop of people in the arts. For me the most pleasing was the knighthood which has been awarded to Kenneth Branagh. His association with Shakespeare goes back to his … Continue reading

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