Tag Archives: William Shakespeare

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Andy Barrow Reviewer: Selwyn Knight Oddsocks Productions continues its quest to ‘tell good stories in a fun interactive way’ with their latest offering, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While they typically perform outdoors with a colourful array of larger-than-life characters, on this occasion they are resident in the Belgrade Theatre’s less formal B2 studio space, but they ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Brendan O’Hea Reviewer: Richard Maguire Shakespeare’s early comedy may not be the most sophisticated of his plays, but The Globe’s Touring Ensemble manages to wring every last laugh out of this tale of identical twins and mistaken identity. This touring company only comes home to The Globe for a few days this summer, but on the ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director & Adaptor: Erica Schmidt Reviewer: Adrienne Sowers The politics of being a preteen girl are dark, complex, and can feel like life-or-death stakes are involved. Whispers and rumors fuel hormone-charged energies and create tension and high drama. So it stands to reason that Red Bull Theater’s production of MacBeth, ably adapted and directed by Erica Schmidt, ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: John Haidar Reviewer: James Garrington All too often productions which label themselves “innovative” and “revelatory” turn out to be anything but that – simply a recycling of old ideas with a relatively minor tweak here and there. While, as they say, there’s nothing new in theatre, this production of Richard III by Headlong could certainly never be ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Paul Burbridge Designers: Sean Cavanagh, Anna Gooch Music/Sound: Patrick Burbridge Reviewer: Ron Simpson York certainly does Shakespeare proud, with the return of the Shakespeare’s Rose season at the end of June preceded by the York International Shakespeare Festival from May 9 to 19. There are a whole series of short-run productions/performances at the new pop-up space, ...

Writer: William Shakespeare  Director: Conrad Nelson Reviewer: Jo Beggs If there was ever a worry that Northern Broadsides would lose its Broadsides-ness after the departure of founder and true actor-manager Barrie Rutter, then their production ofMuch Ado About Nothing is here to remind us all of just what they stand for. After twenty-five years at the helm, Rutter departed the ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: John Haidar Reviewer: Dave Cunningham Headlong do not have to try too hard to demonstrate the relevance of Shakespeare’s Richard IIIto contemporary audiences. After all, the play is set in a divided society governed by a populist ‘strong man’ ruler whose narcissism conceals a deep insecurity and rage against the world. Not too difficult, therefore, to ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Adam Nichols Reviewer: Karl O'Doherty Though it touches on some very nice ideas, and finishes with an extremely strong idea executed well, the production as a whole feels scrappy, rushed and unbalanced. Wrapping in contemporary music throughout, with some strong vocal performances, gives it a freshness and some life but isn’t enough to revive it completely. ...