About Shakespeare

Where�s Peter Brook?

2009-12-15T09:15:55Z

On a recent visit to Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, I spent some time looking around the new Hall of Fame. Some classic names have earned a rightful place including Ben Jonson and David Garrick. Some modern faces have also found their way into the Hall of Fame: David Tennant for his groundbreaking RSC performance of Hamlet, Kenneth Branagh for bringing the Bard to the big screen ... and even Leonardo DiCaprio for making Shakespeare cool.

Just take a look at the full list of names chosen by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

I can't help but think that there are a few notable absences! Where on earth is Peter Brook? As one of our greatest Shakespeare directors, he surely deserves a place. His production of A Midsummer Night's Dream is still remembered as one of the RSC's defining moments four decades on.

Should Leonardo DiCaprio have been selected over Peter Brook? Surely not! And don't even get me started on the absence of John Gielgud and Peggy Ashcroft.

I'd like to hear who would be in your list of greats - please visit our hall of fame and add your own names.

Photo � Lee Jamieson

Where�s Peter Brook? originally appeared on About.com Shakespeare on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 09:15:55.

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Juliet Matures

2009-12-11T12:02:30Z

Shakespeare's writing has secured the careers of many actors. For example, Laurence Olivier made his career with Hamlet as did Judi Dench with Lady Macbeth. But some roles simply don't have enough meat to be career breaking roles.

Take Juliet for example. Despite this being an iconic role, few actresses have made their name playing her. Perhaps this is because she's so young and must be played by a correspondingly young and less experienced actress.

Personally, I believe that Juliet is emotionally naive - there's not a great deal of emotional "meat" for an actress to get her teeth into.

However, my theory could be turned on his head with a new production of Romeo and Juliet at the Bristol Old Vic in the UK. This new production will retell the classic love story with elderly lovers in Verona's residential care homes.

I think this will be a real opportunity to see new depths in one of Shakespeare's most iconic characters. But which of our great actresses would you like to see in the role? (tip: Judi Dench is busy!)

Photo � NYPL Digital Galley

Juliet Matures originally appeared on About.com Shakespeare on Friday, December 11th, 2009 at 12:02:30.

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New Place - Archaeological Dig Planned

2009-12-01T11:09:53Z

Initial tests for a full-scale excavation of the site of Shakespeare's final home in Stratford-upon-Avon are due to start today. It is hoped that this ambitious project could reveal new archaeological evidence about the Bard's final years before his death in 1616.

Shakespeare's final home was called New Place, but the house was demolished in 1759 and never rebuilt. Today, the site is owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and plays host to a beautiful Elizabethan garden.

Experts from Birmingham Archaeology in the UK believe that the remains of the old house are still buried beneath the gardens and it is hoped that the initial tests will lead to a full-scale archaeological dig in 2010.

Shakespeare purchased New Place in 1597, at which time the house was already over 100 years old. In around 1610, he retired from London to Stratford-upon-Avon and took up full-time residency for the final six years of his life.

I will of course be following any developments that arise from this dig. Although we're only in the early stages, I hope that this ambitious project reveals new insights into the life of the world's greatest and most popular playwright.

Watch this blog to follow developments or subscribe to my weekly Shakespeare newsletter.

Photo � Lee Jamieson

New Place - Archaeological Dig Planned originally appeared on About.com Shakespeare on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 11:09:53.

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'Hamlet' Skull

2009-12-01T07:09:11Z

It all seems so long ago now that I blogged about the Hamlet skull. David Tennant was one of the RSC's best-ever Hamlets, tickets were impossible to acquire and hordes of Shakespeare newbies were discovering Hamlet for the first time.

Well, now that Shakespeare buzz is back as Tennant is reunited with that skull for a BBC film version of the RSC's production. And once again a real skull will feature in the production. The RSC's Hamlet skull was bequeathed by pianist, Andre Tchaikowsky, who loved Shakespeare and wanted to star as Yorick forevermore.

As it transpires, Tchaikowsky's skull has been used in every performance of Hamlet, despite the RSC claiming that a fake would be used when the production transferred from Stratford-upon-Avon to London.

I can't wait to see Tennant and Tchaikowsky reunited on screen - and I suspect that a whole new generation of Doctor Who loving fans will be discovering Shakespeare for the first time. Good times await.

Photo � Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

'Hamlet' Skull originally appeared on About.com Shakespeare on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 07:09:11.

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Edward de Vere - New Evidence?

2009-11-24T12:49:41Z

A new book supporting the theory that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, was the real author of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets has just been released in Germany to critical acclaim.

The Telegraph has reported that Kurt Kreiler's new book, The Man Who Invented Shakespeare, has "uncovered the most conclusive evidence to date that the works of William Shakespeare were in fact written by Edward de Vere." If this is true - if Kreiler has actually managed to uncover new evidence - then I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

Certainly, De Vere is the strongest candidate in the Shakespeare authorship debate, but I suspect that Kreiler will only add to the mounting circumstantial evidence - compelling as it is, it does not prove a link.

Unfortunately, I can't read German, so I'll have to wait until the English translation becomes available next year. If we have any German-speaking readers who have been reading Kreiler's book, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Edward de Vere - New Evidence? originally appeared on About.com Shakespeare on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 12:49:41.

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'Hamlet' Online

2009-11-18T06:12:26Z

This week, the Shakespeare Quartos Archive has lined up a real treat for Shakespeare enthusiasts. They have collated all 32 surviving quarto editions of Hamlet in a free online archive.

This new venture enables you to compare Hamlet online and annotate high-quality page reproductions without the need to source copies from the greatest libraries around the world.

I think that this venture, led by the Bodleian Library in Oxford and the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC, is a fantastic new resource in the arsenal of Shakespeare scholarship. Access to original manuscripts is often perceived as near impossible - that barrier has now been removed.

I hope that the accessibility that this new project affords will inspire a new generation of Shakespeare scholars and inspire new studies of Hamlet.

Photo � British Library

'Hamlet' Online originally appeared on About.com Shakespeare on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 06:12:26.

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Jude Law in 'Hamlet'

2009-11-10T12:27:06Z

When a big-name Hollywood celebrity returns to the stage, it's always a risk. Jude Law has taken the biggest risk by playing Shakespeare's most complex and multi-faceted character, Hamlet.

Well, it seems that Jude Law's risk has paid off with the production becoming an official Broadway hit. Last week, it was revealed that his $2.5 million production of Hamlet is in profit after less than a three-month run at the Broadhurst Theater in New York.

I think that high-profile productions like this are important because they connect with new audiences like never before. Already, Jude Law has attracted hundreds of young audience members and exposed them to Shakespeare for the first time.

Also, it's heart-warming to see Shakespeare become a huge commercial success on Broadway.

The production runs until 6 December 2009 - Have you seen it? Do you rate Jude Law's Hamlet? Share your reviews here for other theater goers.

Photo � Andrew H. Walker / Getty Images

Jude Law in 'Hamlet' originally appeared on About.com Shakespeare on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 12:27:06.

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Keep Shakespeare in Our Schools

2009-11-09T23:45:36Z

Last week, the UK government barred state schools from offering a new IGCSE qualification because it would allow students to opt out of studying Shakespeare.

I think that the very idea that an entire generation of students could leave school without being exposed to Shakespeare at all is terrifying. The study of Shakespeare forges a link with our culture, our history, our heritage and our language - factors that will give the adults of tomorrow a solid grounding in life.

The importance of Shakespeare in our schools was expressed perfectly by Jacqui O'Hanlon, director of education at the Royal Shakespeare Company, in her letter to the Guardian this weekend:

There is a reason why Shakespeare is the only compulsory writer on the secondary English curriculum ... we know that when students engage actively with the plays, when they are up on their feet saying the words and making choices about character motivation and setting, they are also exploring living dilemmas about democracy, leadership, family loyalty, love and power. They increase their confidence, self-esteem and communication skills in the process.

Can we really study the English language without Shakespeare? I think not because his writing provides the essential context to our modern language and his influence pervades our every word.

Let's keep our children exposed to Shakespeare.

Photo � NYPL Digital Gallery

Keep Shakespeare in Our Schools originally appeared on About.com Shakespeare on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 23:45:36.

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Tourism Will Fund Shakespeare�s Church

2009-11-02T07:59:27Z

Should the tourist industry fund repairs to Holy Trinity Church? This building has been the subject of my blog for some weeks now and finally the tourist industry has taken a proactive step in the right direction.

A group of 34 travel agents from the US have donated $200 towards the vital repair work needed to keep Shakespeare's final resting place open to the public. The money was originally raised by the Anne Hudgins Shakespeare Class.

Of course, many other tourists have already donated to the church by paying the small fee to see the Bard's grave when touring Shakespeare's Stratford.

Like it or not, it seems that a large proportion of the bill will be picked up by the tourist industry in one way or another.

If you would like to save Shakespeare's final resting place, then donations can be made online to The Friends of Shakespeare's Church. Simply visit www.shakespeareschurch.org.

Tourism Will Fund Shakespeare�s Church originally appeared on About.com Shakespeare on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 07:59:27.

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Idiots Ruin Shakespeare!

2009-11-01T15:31:32Z

I was appalled to learn that a company of Shakespeare actors was jeered off stage by drunks during an open air performance of The Two Gentlemen of Verona in Tunbridge Wells, UK.

The Pantiles Players has been performing Shakespeare on a local bandstand since World War Two, but have now decided to cancel the project following a barrage of abuse from drunks at a nearby pub. The actors have finally had enough of being jeered at by idiots saying that they "look gay" in their Shakespearean costume.

The free community performances have been disrupted since England introduced a smoking ban in public places, forcing smokers at the nearby pub out onto the street of Tunbridge Wells.

I know that Shakespeare isn't for everyone, but where's the community spirit? Although I can't vouch for the quality of the performance, I suspect that this reaction to Shakespeare is more common than we'd like to think. I've sat a few times in theaters with restless idiots behind me ruining the performance.

At the risk of opening a can of worms, I'd like to hear about your Shakespeare horror stories. Has the utter disrespect or a sad lack of interest on someone else's part ever ruined a Shakespeare performance for you?

Idiots Ruin Shakespeare! originally appeared on About.com Shakespeare on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 15:31:32.

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