Tuesday 17 July 2012

Henry IV Part Two - BBC: Saturday 14th July

Thank you for a good show. The king's deathbed revival was a bit OTT, but what the hell, the whole was so much brighter and crisper that the First Part of which the least said the soonest mended.

Sunday 8 July 2012

The HOLLOW Crown Sat 7 July

The Hollow Crown for a hollow production, Sat 7 July. Three of us watched it. General response: no celebration this of a work by Shakespeare; slovenly articulation, Jeremy Irons excepted.   Direction adrift, otherwise aimless rushing around. WS bethumped by the noise of hooves.  Bright spot? Well, it was a pity that the scene between Falstaff and Hal came near to being moving because it pointed up how dreary was the rest of the piece.  Simon Rusell Beale snored.

Sunday 1 July 2012

Ordeal by Arm-wrestling: Julius Caesar “unwrapped” at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford

Ordeal by Arm-wrestling: Julius Caesar “unwrapped” Saturday 30 June 2012, 10.30-11.30 am at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford

My partner and I had so enjoyed last Friday night’s performance of Greg Doran’s production of Julius Caesar  that we were delighted to have an opportunity to return to the theatre the following morning for the “Unwrapped” event.

This was one of a series of events at which the public are invited to join members of the creative team and acting company for a demonstration of the ways a play in the current season has “made its journey from the page to the stage”.

In this case, it was enthralling to hear what had gone into the rehearsals to produce such fine performances - including varying interpretations of character and text.  Many, many thanks to you all - in particular, the actors Ann Ogbomo and Marcus Griffiths for taking up my suggestion, getting physical and arm-wrestling their way, belly-down, through the great scene between Caesar and Calpurnia!  It was a big ask and they came through brilliantly - indeed, in true Roman style, triumphantly!

I would like to urge as many people as possible to go to Stratford and see this production!