Tag Archives: National Theatre

Shakespeare’s vision of apocalypse: King Lear at the National Theatre

As I write this on the afternoon of 6 June the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy are taking place. President Hollande, speaking into a microphone, has been talking about peace in Europe, in front … Continue reading

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King Lear and poverty

I’m finally getting to see Simon Russell Beale playing King Lear at the National Theatre this week. I’m not sure how much I’m going to agree with some of the interpretation, but with Beale you know, however difficult the play … Continue reading

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Congratulations to David Bradley!

It’s truly wonderful news that actor David Bradley has won a BAFTA after a forty-year career that has spanned theatre, TV and film. Not surprisingly, the award he won is Best Supporting Actor in the hit TV drama Broadchurch. David … Continue reading

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Richard II at the RSC

The RSC’s Richard II is onstage at last, and I’ve got to one of the performances. I’ve seen quite a few past productions of the play onstage, some extremely memorable. Like Hamlet, it’s often judged by its central performance, but … Continue reading

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Shakespeare and the National Theatre

On 15 October it was announced that Rufus Norris was to be appointed to the most important job in UK theatre, as Artistic Director of the National Theatre, taking over in April 2015. Then next week, on 22nd October the … Continue reading

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Dido, Queen of Carthage: Marlowe and Shakespeare’s visions of Troy

Dido, Queen of Carthage is one of Christopher Marlowe’s least-performed and least-read plays. It’s sometimes been suggested that this unpopularity has been caused by it being an early, perhaps undergraduate effort. Recently there has been a revival of interest in … Continue reading

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Shakespeare, the BAFTAs, and screening theatre

On Sunday May 12 the award ceremony for the UK’s TV industry, the BAFTAs, is being held. Shakespeare interest is focused on The Hollow Crown, the four-part mini-series which screened during the summer of 2012. The series isn’t badly represented: Ben … Continue reading

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Shakespeare and the case for subsidy

I’ve only been away for a few days, but on return have found many Shakespeare-related stories to catch up on. There have been two major press nights, Othello at the National Theatre, As You Like It at the RSC. These … Continue reading

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Othello, Iago and the search for character

The National Theatre’s new production of Othello is beginning its previews this week. Starring Adrian Lester as Othello, the Henry V from a few years ago, and Rory Kinnear as Iago, who has recently played Hamlet, both at the National, … Continue reading

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Updating Timon: Simon Russell Beale at the National

Theatre programmes don’t often include an article written by the leading man in the production. Most actors and directors let their work speak for them, and drawing attention to their past successes might be courting disaster. Actors can be a … Continue reading

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