Shakespeare

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Justin Audibert Reviewer: Stephen Bates Some plays struggle to stand the test of time. In the not so distant past, The Taming of the Shrew could be seen almost constantly, almost everywhere, but now it has been eclipsed by the much tamer Much Ado About Nothing as the Shakespearean romcom of choice. …Shrew may now be ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Gavin McAlinden Reviewer: Scott Matthewman Finding a new take on a Shakespeare classic is a tricky task at the best of times. For a fringe production, sharing a stage and set with plays by Ibsen and Strindberg, it is certainly an uphill battle. The Acting Gymnasium’s Macbeth, in repertory with the company’s Miss Julie and A ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Kimberley Sykes Reviewer: Scott Matthewman All the world’s a stage, we hear from As You Like It’s most famous soliloquy. And so, muses Kimberley Sykes’ production for the RSC, is the Forest of Arden. Once action moves away from Duke Frederick’s court, the house lights come up and the theatre becomes the forest, the audience the ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Designer: Jean Chan Director: Elizabeth Freestone Reviewer: Julia Beasley Truth, lies and love are the eternal themes of Shakespeare’s witty comedy. How far can people be manipulated by misinformation? Can anyone ever be taken at their word? When can you trust someone enough to fall in love with them? Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory’s take on this ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Gregory Doran Reviewer: Sam Lowe Measure for Measure is an interesting case study for a Shakespeare play. It’s known for not really fitting agreeably into either genre box of comedy (meaning it possesses a happy ending) or tragedy. Shakespeare’s plays can be divided into the following: Tragedy, History, or Comedy. Some academics have even referred to ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director:  Justin Audibert Reviewer: Richard Hall The Taming Of The Shrew is one of three plays that the Royal Shakespeare Company has brought to The Lowry for a much anticipated two week season. Having previously played at Stratford-Upon-Avon, this production has generated a lot of interest due to its fresh portrayal of gender politics. What makes this ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Eleanor Rhode Reviewer: Katie Burchett Neon lights, foam hands and political sparring in a boxing ring; Eleanor Rhode brings Shakespeare’s unsung King John to the Swan Theatre in an explosion of visual splendour. It is a rare thing to go into a Shakespeare play with no preconceived ideas of how it’ll be done, but from the ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Kimberley Sykes Reviewer: Dave Cunningham Director Kimberley Sykes uses the current production of As You Like It to examine whether, as is opined in the play, the world really is a stage.  The show opens in what might be considered the traditional manner- a bleak monochrome court from which the increasingly paranoid Duke has banished many ...