What I felt about this production of Hamlet was that when it opened it was a very good production and on the last day I saw it, I thought that it was a superb production. I suppose the question here is, is a form of rehearsal be taking place as a production develops beyond previews and through the run and how…
Read more Hamlet (Crucible Sheffield, September/October 2010)
On the 15th October matinée, Katy Stephens (text in hand) took on the role of Cleopatra in the RSC Antony and Cleopatra when Kathryn Hunter ‘was indisposed’. Though for most of the scenes Katy Stephens held the book in her hand, she only looked at the script now and again to remind herself of odd lines. I felt…
Read more Antony and Cleopatra. Part 2 (Theatre Royal Newcastle, 15th October 2010)
When I saw Antony and Cleopatra in Stratford, I felt that Artistic Director, Michael Boyd’s vision of the RSC ensemble and how it should be put into reality seemed to come to fruition in the production. The house lights are up for most of the production creating a real awareness of the audience watching. The vomitaria are used a lot…
I must admit that this production of Macbeth was very much in the Belt Up aesthetic and contributes to an oeuvre which experiments with using space in inventive ways. In a proscenium arch theatre this involves the breaking down the fourth wall and any divide between auditorium and stage in using the space in the performance. Belt Up take some of their ideas…
Read more Macbeth (Belt Up, York Theatre Royal, 8th October 2010)
Trailers – Romeo and Juliet | RSC.
Two productions of the same play in Theatre Royals in the North of England, yet very different experiences. In the past month, I have had chance to revisit the RSC’s production of Romeo and Juliet in Newcastle and have seen the Pilot Theatre’s production of the same play in York. Having seen both productions so…
Read more Romeo and Juliet (Theatre Royal, Newcastle and York)
King Lear at York Theatre Royal with a cast of stars. This was a read through and it was much more interesting and engaging than I thought it would be. It was like listening to a radio play, I had to really focus on listening to the language without action, and character interaction to convey…
Julie Raby: A Dyslexic Writer 