Heartwarming Midsummer Night’s Dream (As You Like It)

As part of the World Shakespeare Festival, the RSC has commissioned a Russian production from the Chekhov International Festival entitled Midsummer Night’s Dream (As You Like It) to perform for one week only in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The title is a bit deceptive, neither following the narratives of Midsummer or As You Like It. Instead, the story revolves around a play within a play—The Mechanicals staging Pyramus and Thisbe.  "As You Like It" does not refer to Shakespeare's comedy, but the willingness of the audience to indulge themselves in the play - "We hope you like it..."

The production is touching, charming, and enjoyable. There is very little dialog to contend which, hardly any of which is Shakespeare save for a sonnet or two.

To begin, a slew of actors appeared loading the set, complete with a grandiose plastic tree and working water fountain. Hijinks insure as the actors attempt to hall the set pieces through the audience, slapping ticket-holders with branches and spouting water all the way.

A well-dressed “audience” enters and are taken to their seats on either side of the stage, interjecting with rude , though comical, commentary. An actor informs the audience that the play is under-rehearsed, though we will probably not know the difference since we have nothing to compare it to. Indeed, much of the comedy resided in the play going slightly wrong at times – yet everything about this play is exactly right. The ensemble of actors are funny and talented, joking around with deadpan faces and preforming acrobatics. The play comments on itself by including the audience in the jest. Dmitry Krymov (director) delivers it all –What could be better than two giant puppets and a dancing dog?

Read more reviews at:
Year of Shakespeare
The Stage

Romeo and Juliet in Bagdad

Here in Stratford-upon-Avon an amazing feat is taking place. The World Shakespeare Festival is bringing the diversity of the world theatre to this tiny riverside town.

Now playing at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Romeo and Juliet in Bagdad tells William Shakespeare's classic tragedy as a conflict between the Shiite and Sunni people.  Romeo and Juliet must battle not only their warring families, but also survive against the backdrop of a country in conflict.  An Iraqi theatre company performs the play in Arabic with English subtitles.

The play departs from Shakespeare's story at several points, including the final scene where Romeo and Juliet do not take their own lives, but rather have their lives ripped from them by a terrorist's action. This adaptation is startling, scary, and raw.

While a bit heavy handed in its interpretation, Romeo and Juliet in Bagdad communicates R&J in ways that incite new meanings and will change how its audiences think about the play.

Want to read more? Check out Year of Shakespeare, a website dedicated to documenting the World Shakespeare Festival.

Two great articles are already up:
Year of Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet in Baghdad
Year of Shakespeare: Richard II

The World Shakespeare Festival Launches Today!

PRESS RELEASE - 6 September 2011
The World Shakespeare Festival is launched today, supported by BP as Founding Presenting Partner

What is the World Shakespeare Festival?

A celebration of Shakespeare as the world’s playwright

Over 50 arts organisations

Thousands of UK and international artists

7200 amateur theatre makers and thousands of teachers and young people

70 productions and exhibitions, plus events and activities, right across the UK and online

One million tickets on sale from 10 October

Plus new research from the RSC and the British Council which shows 50% of the world’s school children study Shakespeare

The World Shakespeare Festival (WSF) is a celebration of Shakespeare as the world’s playwright, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, in an unprecedented collaboration with leading UK and international arts organisations, and with Globe to Globe, a major international programme produced by Shakespeare’s Globe. It runs from 23 April to November 2012 and forms part of London 2012 Festival, which is the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad, bringing leading artists from all over the world together in a UK-wide festival in the summer of 2012.

Thousands of artists and over 50 arts organisations have come together to take part in the Festival, a collaboration of extraordinary scale and ambition. Over a million tickets go on public sale from 10 October for close to 70 productions, plus events and exhibitions across the UK, including London, Stratford-upon-Avon, Newcastle/Gateshead, Birmingham, Brighton, Wales and Scotland as well as online.

The Festival includes a major exhibition Shakespeare: staging the world - The BP Exhibition at the British Museum (in collaboration with the RSC and supported by BP) which will explore the world through the eyes of Shakespeare, his players and audiences in the changing world of the 17th century.

As well as showcasing the best of UK and international creative talent, the World Shakespeare Festival encourages the creativity of young people, emerging artists and amateur companies. Over 260 amateur groups involving 7200 people (aged from 6 to 90) are taking part in Open Stages, sharing skills and working with the RSC and nine partner theatres to perform their own interpretations of Shakespeare everywhere from castles, parks and village halls to pubs, churches and a coffin works. Some of the most exciting amateur companies will perform at the RSC’s Stratford-upon-Avon home as part of the World Shakespeare Festival in the summer of 2012.

Further programming, including free events, broadcasts and a major digital project allowing people all over the world to become involved, will be announced in the autumn and the new year. Stayed tuned for more information!