I was immensely fortunate to be given tickets to see Don Juan in Soho as a Christmas present. Being a fan of Renaissance and Restoration drama – as well as having something of a man-crush on DT – it had the potential to be a perfect gift. So nearly five months to the day since Christmas, up I went to Wyndham’s Theatre with my partner in tow (perhaps even more of a DT fan) and waited with baited breath…
Continue reading “Don Juan in Soho”
Macbeth is a play seldom associated with beauty; but having recently picked it up again, I have been blown away by just how beautifully written and structured it is. Admittedly it’s a rather horrific beauty, but still…
Continue reading “The Beauty of Macbeth”
The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s residency of The Garrick Theatre is drawing to a close. Early on, I was exceptionally fortunate to see their production of A Winter’s Tale; though not a favourite play of mine, I thought the production was excellent and the acting – especially of Sir Branagh himself – enthralling.
It was with great anticipation, then, that I made my way back to the Garrick last month to watch Kenneth Branagh and Rob Ashford’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Having been bowled over with The Winter’s Tale, I expected the same from this production, especially with Derek Jacobi as Mercutio and the much-lauded pairing of Richard Madden and Lily James in the eponymous roles. Continue reading “Branagh’s Romeo and Juliet – A Jacobian Triumph”
A former mentor of mine at Lancaster University posed a question via Twitter: What does Shakespeare mean to you? I couldn’t possibly let the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s death pass without a post, and I thought that this would be a great question to answer. Continue reading “What does Shakespeare mean to me?”
I have always found the title of this particular play problematic as the majority of productions I have seen – and a great deal of criticism – focus predominantly on the character of Shylock. So if Antonio is the actual merchant of Venice, why does he seem to be a comparatively marginal character? Continue reading “The Merchant of Venice?”
Having recorded Drama Republic‘s 2015 adaptation of J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls when it aired on the BBC in September, I finally got around to watching it this Easter. Having been a set GCSE text since I started teaching, I am pretty familiar with the play. This production has a great number of strengths, though I must admit to having had somewhat mixed feelings by the time the credits rolled. Continue reading “An Inspector Calls (BBC, 2015)”
Jonny English 