twilightdawning

A writer's thoughts – mainly about music, sport and theatre. Shakespeare, Bob Dylan, live shows, New York Yankees

It wearies me; you say it wearies you

Posted on May 26, 2015 by twilightdawning

What: The Merchant of Venice

Where: The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon

When: 21st May 2015

A writer in the UK newspaper “The Telegraph” pointed out how far short of the production at the Globe in London, the current RSC version of “The Merchant of Venice” falls. It is indeed unusual for two parallel productions to be running like this. It is, if you will, a surfeit of Merchants.

I cover only the RSC’s productions so I do not have the benefit or disadvantage of comparison. I, therefore, can only point out how the RSC’s production fails on its own merits. The audience were enthusiastic. The cast were spirited but bad directorial and staging decisions doomed it from the start.

Continue reading →

Salesman in Stratford

Posted on April 27, 2015 by twilightdawning

vWhat: Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller

Where: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon

When: 24th April 2015

There are more stage directions at the beginning of Arthur Miller’s “Death of A Salesman” then there are in an entire play by William Shakespeare. And that is before you get to the first spoken line in the script. The stage directions continue throughout the play – in not such an elongated way – but still extremely detailed. Even the way the actors are to deliver their lines are specified by the playwright. It is clear that there has been a theatrical revolution since Shakespeare’s day and by Miller’s early period. The question is how that revolution is applied now to theatre nearly 70 years after “…Salesman”‘s debut

Continue reading →

Shakespeare, the Shakespearience and “the Shakespearience too”

Posted on January 16, 2015 by twilightdawning

What: The Shakespearience Too

Who: The Shakespearience Production Company

Where: Ravenscourt Arts, Hammersmith, London

When: March 2015

In 2009, I had a dream. I mean literally. I had a dream. I woke up in my hotel in Stratford-Upon-Avon with a notion that I should start a theatre company that would present Shakespeare for schoolchildren in a way that would be informative, entertaining and educational. I was in town to review a play by the Bard but I have to say that I can’t even remember which one. But I do remember what happened next.

Continue reading →

…I was born to speak all mirth and no matter…

Posted on November 23, 2014 by twilightdawning

What: Much Ado About Nothing (promoted as “Love’s Labour’s Won”) by William Shakespeare

Where: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon

When: 20th November 2014

So I was back in Stratford-Upon-Avon for the second half of this strange coupling that Gregory Doran is determined to promote as “Love’s Labour’s Lost” and “Love’s Labour’s Won”. In reality, as I suggested in my earlier review these two plays share no common ground other than their humorous tone and those imposed by the director’s decision-making.

Continue reading →

Tomorrow Thou Must Go

Posted on July 27, 2014 by twilightdawning

What: The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare

Where: The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon

When: July 17, 2014

The programme, which you can purchase for £4 at the theatre door, makes much of the fact that this is one of the very few times that the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has staged “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” in recent years.

Continue reading →

Fare you well, Falstaff. I, in my condition, shall better speak of you.

Posted on May 21, 2014 by twilightdawning

What: Henry IV Part II

When: May 15th 2014

Where: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon.

The Royal Shakespeare Company last performed Henry IV Part II in 2008 as part of their “Histories” cycle. On that occasion it was necessary that they performed both Henry IV plays in tandem as they were performing all of Shakespeare’s history plays. Now in 2014, they have chosen to perform the two together again. I wonder at the wisdom of this decision.

Continue reading →

Shakespeare Reviews

Posted on April 30, 2014 by twilightdawning

We now have 7 years of Shakespeare reviews on this site – so many it can be hard to find what you’re looking for. I’ve done this handy guide to them all so you can follow the links below to any RSC production over the period. Where there has been more than one production of a particular play, they are listed separately and the date given. I’ll try to keep it updated annually.

Continue reading →

“…….Do so, for it is worth the listening to”

Posted on April 29, 2014 by twilightdawning

What: Henry IV Part 1 by William Shakespeare

Where: The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon

When: April 24th 2014

The Royal Shakespeare Company are publicising Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 as Shakespeare’s finest two plays. I can’t say I agree. Such a claim would make King Lear & Macbeth blush. However, they may well be the point where Shakespeare’s three stylistic modes best meet.

Continue reading →

What’s coming up in 2014?

Posted on January 18, 2014 by twilightdawning

Thank you to everyone who visits and supports this site. We now get more visitors per day than ever before. We get twice as many visitors per day just reading old stuff as we used to get on the old site on a day when a new article went up.

So a couple of weeks into the New Year, what seems to be likely to appear here in 2014 and what else will I be involved in?

Continue reading →

The News is Very Fair and Good

Posted on November 21, 2013 by twilightdawning

What: Richard II by William Shakespeare

Where: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon

When: November 2013

Richard II is not Shakespeare’s best known play. In fact, nobody I spoke to prior to seeing the current production could tell me the whole plot and storyline.

David Tennant is probably the UK’s best known Shakespearean actor. He has achieved this status not for his work on Shakespeare’s plays but because he is an extraordinarily well-known actor who also performs in Shakespeare. His fame comes primarily from his role as Dr Who – even within that role, within the last few days, he was voted the nation’s most popular Doctor.

Continue reading →