Category: William Shakespeare

Secret House presents TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, by William Shakespeare, at The Depot Theatre, Marrickville. 9th May – 19th May. TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, by William Shakespeare, is notoriously known as a ‘problem’ play and extremely difficult to bring to life. It is very rarely attempted. I last remembering seeing this play in a Bell Shakespeare production, in the Olympic Games Year of 2000, Directed by Michael Bogdanov. So, when announced in the present season of play at The Depot Theatre one’s curiosity was triggered. Of the great titled lovers in Shakespeare’s repertoire: ROMEO AND JULIET, ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, TROILUS AND CRESSIDA…

The Leftovers Collective present, SHAKESPEARE DANCE PARTY, original Concept and Direction by Curly Fernandez, at the Hustle Flow Bar, 105 Regent St Redfern. 11 March. SHAKESPEARE DANCE PARTY, was a rapper’s gig incorporating the mysterious beats of DJ Jimmy New, using a Shakespearean monologue, taken in a faux competition between some 16 or so artists. It was an experiment in taking Shakespeare back to the ‘rabble’, hosted by MC Jag. There were 4 heats, of micro-phoned Shakespearean speech dictated at rapper speed from the DJ, interrupted for more drinks, with an ultimate play-off between two crowd selected competitors. There was…

With this year adaptations of Shakespeare’s MEASURE FOR MEASURE and Carlo Goldoni’s THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS, Sport For Jove (SFJ) present their ninth summer season at Bella Vista Farm, and in Leura, in the Everglades Gardens. Lizzie Schebesta, the Director of MEASURE FOR MEASURE, declares in her program notes to be ‘an unashamedly feminist theatre maker and will frack my way into a play to bring out its female voice.’ So with excision of text – even a whole sub-plot and several characters – and much re-writing, with a Design concept (Sallyanne Facer) that liberally borrows from contemporary television…

Photo by Prudence Upton Bell Shakespeare present THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, by William Shakespeare, in the Playhouse Theatre, at the Sydney Opera House. Until 26 November. I went to see this Bell Shakespeare production of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, Directed by Anne-Louise Sarks, on the favourable ‘word-of-mouth’ I had, mostly, received from friends, who, like me, had had a very dispiriting experience with their production of OTHELLO***, last year, and, of course, because of my continuing interest in this very vexing play. Vexing? Says Norrie Epstein in his book THE FRIENDLY SHAKESPEARE: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE  is a troubling play.…

Cheek By Jowl with Pushkin Theatre Moscow present MEASURE FOR MEASURE, as part of the Sydney Festival, in the Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay. 7-11 January. Some once said something like: If you want to know a man, give him power. (George Brandis, Bronwyn Bishop, Susan Ley, Alan Trudge, et al?) In MEASURE FOR MEASURE (1603-4), William Shakespeare’s play, The Duke of Vienna, Angelo and Isabella particularly are given power and what we see is there hu-maness. That all three have both God and the Devil moving their actions, each of those ‘concepts’ of God and Devil taking control-turn when…

Photo by Daniel Boud Bell Shakespeare presents, OTHELLO, by William Shakespeare, in the Playhouse, at the Sydney Opera House, 24 October – 4 December. OTHELLO is a riveting play. A play concerning the plot of a man who outwardly seems a charming man – a flower external that has a serpent beneath. Of a man who has no conscience at all. A man who takes the witnessing audience into his confidence and shows us a duplicity so heinous, wicked and clever that we cannot look away. It is Iago and we step willingly onto the roller-coaster of his doings and…