Once upon a time, I made a long speech about the negative impact of Shakespeare on British theatre. I pointed out that certain companies will actually tell me, when I interview them about their latest bog-standard version of Romeo and Juliet, that there is no need to justify a production: Shakespeare is reason enough. I noted that the plays are long, the language has been reduced to a cliche by overuse, and that most of his morals has been rendered obsolete by time.
On the whole, not the best monologue to deliver at Heathrow airport. To the artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, who did not reveal their identity until the baggage finally arrived.
I stand by most of my speech, except for the bit where I insisted that they ought to ban Macbeth. Still, without picking on any company, have you seen how many versions are in the Fringe this year?
However, my first pick for Shakespeare in Edinburgh is a version of Macbeth. True, it's a comedy, and homes in on Lady M. Plus, it is Dutch. I'll let Annemarie de Bruijn explain.
On the whole, not the best monologue to deliver at Heathrow airport. To the artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, who did not reveal their identity until the baggage finally arrived.
I stand by most of my speech, except for the bit where I insisted that they ought to ban Macbeth. Still, without picking on any company, have you seen how many versions are in the Fringe this year?
However, my first pick for Shakespeare in Edinburgh is a version of Macbeth. True, it's a comedy, and homes in on Lady M. Plus, it is Dutch. I'll let Annemarie de Bruijn explain.
"Lady M. is based on Macbeth but tells the story about a bit character who is fed up with being overlooked and is quite frustrated by Mr William Shakespeare that he gave her only one scene. She was more important than that. And this is how our version of Macbeth managed to become a comedy instead of a tragedy. The lady-in-waiting has a hilarious honest way of telling her side of the story and especially her outbursts towards Shakespeare will certainly make you crack a smile."
Bruijn must know me: a speech condemning Shakespeare...
"We didn't as much restructure the original Macbeth, most of all we structured a new story and text along side it. We follow the story-line of Macbeth but the action and thoughts of the lady-in-waiting. How she sees Macbeth arriving in the house after the war, how excited she is when King Duncan is coming to dine et cetera. Some moments, our story-line and Shakespeare's come together and then we use pieces of the original, like the famous diner-scene for example. It's mostly about the domestic battlefield, and we follow the Lady more then we do Macbeth. Which is interesting because in the play the Lady is quite a mystery."
"We didn't as much restructure the original Macbeth, most of all we structured a new story and text along side it. We follow the story-line of Macbeth but the action and thoughts of the lady-in-waiting. How she sees Macbeth arriving in the house after the war, how excited she is when King Duncan is coming to dine et cetera. Some moments, our story-line and Shakespeare's come together and then we use pieces of the original, like the famous diner-scene for example. It's mostly about the domestic battlefield, and we follow the Lady more then we do Macbeth. Which is interesting because in the play the Lady is quite a mystery."
"Ultimately you maybe even get two plays for the price of one now I think about it. Both longing for power and in the case of our lady-in-waiting most of all recognition. And this is something everyone can relate to on some level. We don't make political statements or current affairs, it's a true story-telling that's timeless."
It isn't that I hate the bard: I am rather looking forward to my next selection: Midnight at the Boar's Head. Apparently, the Boar's Head is where Shakespeare went to piss his Creative Stratford grant up the wall: the world's at war, but Shakespeare is in the snug, leeching at wenches and ordering foaming pints of ale.
Made by Fine Chisel, Midnight imagines a bar full of characters out of the Collected Works. You know, it isn't hard to come up with a new way of presenting the bard. This one's got good tunes, too, and a fight with party poppers. They stormed some Shakespeare festival earlier in the year (I am not naming it, because I want to discourage that sort of thing).
Never let it be said that I am afraid of playing favourites. I went to St Andrews University, so I like to mention the theatre that comes from there. I am even excited by the Macbeth in Scots that the University has got involved in.
They are performing out at Inchcolm Island: I have mentioned it elsewhere on the blog, so I won't go on and on. But look: site specific! Reclaiming a story! A cool place to perform! Evidence that another bloody period version of Romeo And Juliet is not enough.
I quite fancy the two version where the entire cast are women, as it goes.
Swing A Midsummer Night's Dream is described as being "after William Shakespeare," which means liberties were taken with the script. They have added a bunch of 1940s' tunes to the classic tale, which leads to them making the claim that they have "singing fairies on the Fringe." That must be a Unique Selling Point.
It's a nice step up from the usual half-arsed attempt to update Shakespeare, when any random period will do, as long as the director can draw a spurious parallel between the script and the era. I reckon the 1940s is okay for Midsummer, as the arts at this time would often conjure magical works to distract the audience from the threat of Nazi invasion.
I am also not afraid to be lazy. Here's my last choice's press release. It is better that what I would say, anyway.
I bet you find this exact release on another page somewhere, and the writer will have pretended to have written it. In a strange way, this makes my confession some sort of integrity.
Made by Fine Chisel, Midnight imagines a bar full of characters out of the Collected Works. You know, it isn't hard to come up with a new way of presenting the bard. This one's got good tunes, too, and a fight with party poppers. They stormed some Shakespeare festival earlier in the year (I am not naming it, because I want to discourage that sort of thing).
Zoo Southside, 3-27 August
Never let it be said that I am afraid of playing favourites. I went to St Andrews University, so I like to mention the theatre that comes from there. I am even excited by the Macbeth in Scots that the University has got involved in. They are performing out at Inchcolm Island: I have mentioned it elsewhere on the blog, so I won't go on and on. But look: site specific! Reclaiming a story! A cool place to perform! Evidence that another bloody period version of Romeo And Juliet is not enough.
I quite fancy the two version where the entire cast are women, as it goes.
Contact Summerhall for times. You get taken on a bus from the city centre.
Swing A Midsummer Night's Dream is described as being "after William Shakespeare," which means liberties were taken with the script. They have added a bunch of 1940s' tunes to the classic tale, which leads to them making the claim that they have "singing fairies on the Fringe." That must be a Unique Selling Point.
It's a nice step up from the usual half-arsed attempt to update Shakespeare, when any random period will do, as long as the director can draw a spurious parallel between the script and the era. I reckon the 1940s is okay for Midsummer, as the arts at this time would often conjure magical works to distract the audience from the threat of Nazi invasion.
C Venues, 5 -11 August
I am also not afraid to be lazy. Here's my last choice's press release. It is better that what I would say, anyway.
I bet you find this exact release on another page somewhere, and the writer will have pretended to have written it. In a strange way, this makes my confession some sort of integrity.
Ex-King of Scotland, Macbeth, and his delightful Queen have returned, posthumously, to Scotland after a world tour in the company of several other dead monarchs, many of whom also feature in works by William Shakespeare.
Speaking at the Edinburgh College of Art, Macbeth said they had enjoyed their travels, which most recently included South Korea, but were glad to be home. "I can never sleep on planes and my wife finds their the hand-washing facilities somewhat lacking, so it is a reliefto be settled in one place for a few weeks," he said.
C venues 3-25 August.
And I am out. If you end up seeing unimaginative Shakespeare, don't blame me. Be more adventurous in your theatrical choices.
Speaking at the Edinburgh College of Art, Macbeth said they had enjoyed their travels, which most recently included South Korea, but were glad to be home. "I can never sleep on planes and my wife finds their the hand-washing facilities somewhat lacking, so it is a reliefto be settled in one place for a few weeks," he said.
C venues 3-25 August.
And I am out. If you end up seeing unimaginative Shakespeare, don't blame me. Be more adventurous in your theatrical choices.
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