Matthew Mehan of Mercator.net brings us this article entitled, Strangling Shakespeare. “Britain’s leading theatre company seems set on barbequeing the Bard of Avon,” the article starts, before going on to review the Royal Shakespeare Company’s recent production of Henry VI part II.
“I was in Stratford on Avon for only a day…although it was just long enough to start counting the number of times I heard Shakespeare roll in his grave.”
Sounds like he didn’t love it.
Technorati Tags: shakespeare , stratford, henry vi, review
Apparently, at the Edinborough Fringe Festival, somebody’s putting on “Bouncy Castle Hamlet”
Sounds like a production my kids would love. Although those swords in the final scene could prove dangerous to the scenery.
Just happen to be re-reading Henry VI part 2 myself (first of the History plays to written – so starting point for the History plays in a way).
The production sounds really good to me – but then I grew up on RSC Shakespeare (think of Peter Brooks AMND).
Seems to me as though the reviewer forgets that Shakespeare only provided a script and not production notes.
The multi-layering of the text with ideas from the director and cast giving added complexity is a sign of mature theatre.
After all, it isn’t meant to be a production for school children.
Further to my comments, out of curiosity, I looked up Michael Billington’s review (top British Theatre critic):
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1842353,00.html
Whilst there, I also think it is worth having a look at this lot:
http://books.guardian.co.uk/authors/author/0,,-126,00.html
AKF