Tag Archives: Shakespeare Memorial Theatre

The pioneering Flowers of Stratford-upon-Avon

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Sylvia Morris

Today there are few places where you will see the name of Flower in Stratford-upon-Avon apart from in a pub, but a hundred or even fifty years ago Flowers Brewery was one of the major employers in the town with … Continue reading →

Share
Posted in Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The end of a tradition: Charlecote’s deer and Nigel Playfair’s As You Like It

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Sylvia Morris

As You Like It was in the very first season of plays performed at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in April-May 1879. With its references to the Forest of Arden the gently romantic comedy was bound to please. The other Shakespeares … Continue reading →

Share
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare on Stage, Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The end of a tradition: Charlecote’s deer and Nigel Playfair’s As You Like It

Slaughter in the streets: Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

This post was always going to be about Titus Andronicus. But it was going to be about the designs for the 1955 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre production of the play, put on at a time when it was thought to be … Continue reading →

Share
Posted in Legacy, Plays and Poems, Shakespeare on Stage | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Slaughter in the streets: Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus

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 →

Share
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare on Stage, Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Theatres for Shakespeare

Relics of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre’s fire

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Sylvia Morris

Last year on 6 March, the anniversary of the fire that destroyed the first Shakespeare Memorial Theatre I wrote a piece about the events of the day. Most people who were living in the town at the time remembered it … Continue reading →

Share
Posted in Legacy, Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Valuing performance: violins, Vaughan Williams and Henry V

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Sylvia Morris

This morning violinist Tasmin Little was interviewed on Radio 4’s flagship news programme Today, talking about rare violins and their value. In Vienna the verdict in the trial of Dietmar Machold, accused of fraud and embezzlement in the trade of … Continue reading →

Share
Posted in Legacy, Plays and Poems, Shakespeare on Stage, Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When Hollywood came to Stratford: Claire Luce’s Cleopatra

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Sylvia Morris

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about Lionel Bradley, an ordinary man who lived through the second world war in London, recording his thoughts about not the blitz but the concerts which he and other Londoners attended: a … Continue reading →

Share
Posted in Shakespeare on Stage, Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Trivial fond records” of wartime performance

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Sylvia Morris

Regular readers will know of my interest in the history of Shakespeare on stage, in particular the ways in which productions have been recorded. Many members of the audience choose to keep autographed programmes, posters or even their tickets, but … Continue reading →

Share
Posted in Shakespeare on Stage, Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Stratford’s Band of Brothers: the Bensonian Company

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Sylvia Morris

One of the most significant events in the early years of the theatre in Stratford was the appointment of Frank Benson to run the festivals. From 1879 to 1885 the Memorial Theatre had been a receiving house for companies bringing … Continue reading →

Share
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare on Stage, Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Gregory Doran’s Royal Shakespeare Company Odyssey

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Sylvia Morris

  On 14 September Gregory Doran becomes Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the most high-profile job in the world of Shakespeare. The RSC was founded in 1961 by the young Peter Hall, renaming and giving new life to … Continue reading →

Share
Posted in Shakespeare on Stage, Stratford-upon-Avon | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Gregory Doran’s Royal Shakespeare Company Odyssey