To take a play as epic in scale as Coriolanus and find a natural home within the intimacy of London’s Donmar Warehouse takes a skill and lightness of touch that is not only rare but all so often missed.
I feel I personally have to advocate for Shakepeare’s Globe even more strongly
Reading that the Globe may struggle to come back from this current crisis without the help of donations and emergency funding didn’t seem quite real.
‘Tom Hiddleston is worth the price of admission’: CORIOLANUS – Donmar Warehouse (Online review)
There are some staggering contemporary references to draw from this staging of a lesser-known Shakespeare, starring Tom Hiddleston.
‘Thoughtfully & inclusively cast’: RICHARD II – The Show Must Go Online
The Show Must Go Online was firmly back in history mode with the beginning of Shakespeare’s second tetralogy in Richard II. Not quite as much bloodshed as the previous set of histories that we’ve seen – more posturing and challenging than anything.
NEWS: RSC cancels or postpones all remaining 2020 performances, including Barbican season
Due to the continuing lockdown, alongside Government advice that social distancing will need to remain in place for some time, the Company has made the difficult decision to postpone all remaining planned performances.
Recalling Tom Hiddleston in CORIOLANUS: ‘One of the best nights of theatre of my life’
It is not often that one reviews a play one saw six years ago, but with the forthcoming National Theatre At Home streaming of the Donmar Warehouse production of Coriolanus, right now seems a strangely appropriate time to recall one of the best nights of theatre of my life.
‘A fascinating body of work’: I, Peaseblossom / I, Banquo (Online review)
Tim Crouch’s series of performances as overlooked characters in Shakespeare is a fascinating body of work. He has been developing these one-man shows (with assistance) for more than 15 years.
NEWS: Sheffield Theatres plan outdoor Shakespeare performances as buildings remain closed
Sheffield Theatres has announced that, subject to government advice, it hopes to bring Shakespeare to Sheffield’s outdoor spaces later this year.
‘Ralph Fiennes & Sophie Okonedo are well matched’: ANTONY & CLEOPATRA – National Theatre (Online review)
I’ve always found Antony and Cleopatra a bit of a slog. There, I’ve said it. Too many scenes which flit about all over the place, too many minor inconsequential characters, deaths which seem interminable.
‘An immediate risk of collapse’: Iris Theatre appeals for urgent support
Iris Theatre have this week cancelled their Escape To The Forest summer season and launched an urgent appeal to save the company from imminent closure.
‘Every single week gets more inventive!’ The Show Must Go Online actors discuss their lockdown hit
I posed some questions to The Show Must Go Online returnees Luke Barton, Kristin Atherton, David Johnson and Lucy Aarden about their experiences with this weekly lockdown hit.
The best play I’ve seen for each of the past 10 years (aka the agony-to-choose list)
Not to let a decade of theatre bloggery go by without marking the occasion, to kick things off, I’ve compiled a list of my favourite play for each year I’ve been blogging. It has been fun revisiting my best-of lists but absolute agony narrowing each list down to just one.
‘An imaginative & enjoyable show for these extraordinary times’: THE TEMPEST – Creation Theatre (Online review)
There’s even a cute section where viewers are encouraged to show off their pets. It’s these moments in particular which bring a smile to your face.
‘Riotous fun from start to finish’: TWELFTH NIGHT – National Theatre ★★★★
This joyous and lively production, starring Tamsin Greig, is one of the best versions of Shakespeare’s comedy I’ve ever seen.
‘I’m glad this version has helped me to appreciate the play more’: The Show Must Go Online’s Titus Andronicus (Online review)
Last week was Shakespeare’s birthday, so The Show Must Go Online went all out with their latest production, holding a Titus Andronicus party in the Bard’s honour.
Lockdown has made me realise, as much as theatre, I’ve been missing live music
It feels slightly odd that my final show before the curtains came down wasn’t a play or musical – instead, it was a dance show.
‘You genuinely feel part of a shared experience’: THE TEMPEST – Creation Theatre (Online review)
‘We’ the audience help with sound effects or stand-in for mysterious creatures or provide props but if you don’t want to get involved it is easy to ‘sit out’ and just watch. The interaction is fun.
‘The very best versions of the story exist in a complex psychological abyss’: A psychological study of Macbeth across genres
Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed plays, and it is a story filled with death, danger and prophesy.
‘I lost a gig on the crest of the wave & knew immediately I was only the first of many’: Robert Myles on launching weekly Shakespeare reading The Show Must Go Online
We chatted to the actor about his project The Show Must Go Online, which weekly presents a Shakespeare play for online audiences.
NEWS: National Theatre At Home screens two versions of Frankenstein plus Antony & Cleopatra
After the popularity of its lockdown streamings of One Man, Two Guvnors, Jane Eyre, Treasure Island and tonight’s Twelfth Night to coincide with Shakespeare’s Birthday (23 April 2020), the National Theatre has announced its next two At Home titles: Danny Boyle’s 2011 monster hit Frankenstein and Simon Godwin’s production of Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra.