Rahm (Measure for Measure), written and produced Mahmood Jamal, dir. Ahmed Jamal, Rahm Films Limited, HKC Entertainment, 2016 Reviewed by Dr. Thea Buckley, The Shakespeare Institute This week marks seventy years since India and Pakistan became separate countries, the joy of Independence marred by the trauma of a Partition that turned brother against brother. Millions of […]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Civil Brawl Theatre Company, directed by Richard Nunn at Number 1 Shakespeare Street, Stratford upon Avon, 18 July 2017 Reviewed by Sara Marie Westh “A sad tale’s best for winter”, says Mamillius, which implies that merry tales, such as Dream are perfect for summer. Civil Brawl’s production in the upper floor at […]
The Dutch Lady, directed by Robert Ball for FRED theatre, at the Shakespeare Institute, Stratford upon Avon, 6/7 2017. Reviewed by Sara Marie Westh It is an unusual treat, and a privilege, for any early modernist to watch a play that has not been acted for more than three centuries – not to mention reviewing […]
Antony and Cleopatra, Directed by John Blondell, at the Bitola Shakespeare Festival, Macedonia, 22-28 July 2015 Reviewed by Randall Martin The annual Bitola Shakespeare Festival, now in its third year, opened with a visually evocative and powerfully moving Antony and Cleopatra in Macedonian by the National Theatre Bitola, directed by John Blondell of the Lit Moon Theatre […]
Titus Andronicus at The RST, dir. Blanche McIntyre, 1/7/2017. Reviewed by Sara Marie Westh The red warning posters warns prospective audience members at the RST that the play they are about to see is Shakespeare’s bloodiest, and that it contains “bad language”. The former statement is undoubtedly true, while the latter appears to pass judgement of […]
The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Kevin Gates. At the City Theater, Austin, TX, June 8, 2017. Review by Michael Saenger What in the world does one do with The Taming of the Shrew? When I was growing up, it was a staple of community theater, a hilarious and (chuckle) romantic tale of an […]
Twelfth Night, Watermill, dir. Paul Hart, York Theatre Royal. 19 May 2017. Reviewed by Sarah Olive This production was one of two offerings from Watermill Theatre at the second York International Shakespeare Festival (Romeo and Juliet was the other). Both traded heavily on the incorporation of live music into the productions: Romeo and Juliet with […]
The Cardinal by James Shirley, directed by Justin Audibert for Troupe at Southwark Playhouse, 2 May 2017 Reviewed by Peter Malin References to the play are to James Shirley, The Cardinal, ed. by E. M. Yearling, Revels Plays Series (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1986) Conventionally-staged productions of early modern plays, in period costume, have […]
‘Know us by these colours’: Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2016 By Sheila T. Cavanagh, Emory University Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) in Ashland, Oregon sparked considerable controversy last year when they announced their “Play On!” initiative, whereby current playwrights and dramaturgs are being commissioned to “translate” the plays attributed to Shakespeare into twenty first century English. […]
Tamburlaine by Christopher Marlowe. Adapted and directed by Ng Choon Ping for Yellow Earth Theatre at the Old Fire Station, Oxford, 13 April 2017. Reviewed by Peter Malin All textual references are to Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great: Parts I and II, ed. by John D. Jump, Regents Renaissance Drama Series (London: Arnold, 1967). […]
