Tag Archives: The Merchant of Venice

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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Shakespeare and National Poetry Day

Thursday 6 October is National Poetry Day in the UK. With so much economic gloom in the news, and to mark the day, here are a couple of pieces of Shakespeare’s most beautiful poetry.  The first one comes from near … Continue reading

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The News of the World and Shakespeare’s Venice #NOTW

On the evening the News of the World’s closure was announced, I went to Rupert Goold’s RSC production of The Merchant of Venice. During the interval a friend and I wondered which of Shakespeare’s plays was most relevant to the … Continue reading

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Staging The Merchant of Venice

John Nathan’s interesting article raises the old question whether The Merchant of Venice is too offensive to stage. I’m pleased that he comes down on the side of continuing to perform it, in spite of the discomfort it might cause … Continue reading

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Those fabulous frocks

Why are we so fascinated by clothes that have been worn by the rich and famous? Kate Middleton’s wedding dress will attract enormous attraction when it is put on display (probably in Buckingham Palace). We will all admire the fabulous … Continue reading

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