Shakespeare

I saw G&S Iolanthe at Stratford just as it came out of Doley carte copyright!
The fairies goose stepped in across the stage. It was hilarious!

Should have read DDs as we have 3! Youngest had her first visit to thatre in Mile End Road strapped to me in a Snuggly at about 8 weeks!
She also used to go to amdram productions as our neighbour was a keen amateur actor. These were pretty awful and the highlight was probably the raffle at the interval. Which is probably why when we took the girls to The Merchant Of Venice at The Barbican , a certain 5 year-old asked in a piercing voice which convulsed those around us "Is there going to be a waffle now?"

We always took our daughter to the theatre as soon as they were old enough not to cry (!) and like to think it was a particular RSC production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Stratford where the fairies were punks in DMs with bicycles ,which ignited a spark in middle D. At the interval she turned to us, eyes shining and said "I don't know Shakespeare could be FUN!"
She is now a successful theatre designer with her second RSC production (first one 2 years ago with Jeremy Irons in leading role) opening next weekend (King John ) at The Swan!

My great love is "A Winter's Tale" -another one I had to teach for "A" Level. It is a story of mature love, jealously and regeneration.

But I also used the Leonardo de Caprio "Romeo and Juliet" which I can wholeheartedly recommend as a real eye opener! Needless to say, the kids loved it, so it was wheeled out as a treat.

absent you're right it wasAs You Lke It! I also saw12th night! Also Christopher Plummer as Richard! A fantastic performance witha unforgettable opening scene!

The first Shakespeare play I saw on TV was As You Like It, way back in the '50s, with Vanessa Redgrave as Rosalind. It had me hooked. Perhaps the worst Shakespeare performance I've seen was Donald Sinden playing Lear at Stratford in the '70s. He hissed and spat his way through the king's speeches and the production was amazingly realistic with gallons of water pouring onto the stage in the storm scene. I remember that a young Cherie Lungi was Cordelia, so long before her amazing performance of the rumba on Strictly!

jeni By chance I was thinking about Vanessa Redgrave today and remembered her magical performance as Rosalind. As You Like It - one of my favourite comedies - I think. Twelfth Night would have been Viola, whom she may also have played but I never saw.

My favourite is Anthony and Cleopatra though I have never seen it on stage. Loved teaching it too. Romeo and Juliet is about romance, puppy love. A&C is about mature love - and sex.

I loved Macbeth, Hamlet, and Henry V, hated A Midsummer Night`s Dream, and could never quite get myself around Julius Caesar (not literally!)

Looking forward to a trip to Stratford in July. I just hope that Twelfth Night and The Tempest measure up to the wonderful Much Ado About Nothing with David Tennant and Catherine Tate in London last summer. That was probably my most enjoyable theatre experience ever (apart from my son's performance locally as Thenardier in Les Mis !) Always enjoyed Shakespeare at school.

I got a lot out of the Shakespeare plays we studied at school, which we also went to Stratford to see performed. Went a few times from Oxford too. In particular, I remember the Stratford version of Julius Caesar which we took DD1 to see as she was in a performance of it at school. Amazingly (and totally unbiassed of course!) we thought the school version was better! There was a certain bright enthusiasm in the 'raw' kids that the 'well cooked' actors were lacking that time.

Awesome stage at Stratford too. Go for it, jeni!

Haven't been to London since the last boat show I went to with dh.probably about 12years ago. Too difficult these days as I can't get on and off trains.
But Stratford I can drive to. Remember seeing Olivier as Coriolanus with Sybil thorndike as his mother. Also Vanessa Redgrave as rosalind in 12th night.
Must go again. I live Shakespeare!

Or Jeni perhaps go to the Globe in London (day trip?) ... saw one of the comedies there a few years ago ...wonderful afternoon.

The problem with Shakespeare is, that beautiful though the language might be, it is hard to get our heads round, and in many performances (including Lenny Henry in Taming of the Shrew which I saw on a live feed) people simply speak too fast. We need time to decipher archaic language in order to get the best from it.
School Shakespeare was dull - all I can remember is "Tennis balls, my liege" from Henry V1

I used to love going to Stratford, unfortunately, dh didn't like it! Perhapsishould try and reorganise myself to visit again? Perhaps teamed with a weekend break at a hotel? Now there's some thing to aim for in the summer. I wonder what the disabled facilities are like at the theatre now? Does anyone know?