Cardenio Amazes at the RSC

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Cardenio is described as "Shakespeare's 'Lost Play' Re-Imagined.” It is the first full-scale new production in the remodeled Swan Theatre. The production is a first adaptation/reinvention of Cardenio at the RSC. The production's 3 sources stem from Cervantes, Shelton and Theobald. To reconstruct the text of Cardenio, texts from Theobald’s Double Falsehood were incorporated with Don Quixote along with new text.

In performance, Cardenio presents dynamic characters, romance, action and intrigue. The relationship between Oliver Rix and Lucy Briggs-Owen as Cardenio and Luscinda gave breath to a sometimes comedic, sometimes tragic romance. Briggs-Owen depicts Lucy as a fidgety young lover, struggling with her inner most desires against the forms of her father and society.

Alex Hassell as Fernando tore at the heartstrings – A character one desires to love and hate in the same instance. He is bold, crass and rash in his decisions – A ruffian who takes what he wants without thought of the consequence. Yet, in all his faults he presents a giddy humor and a naivety that puts his villainess nature into question.

Perhaps the best production at the RSC this season, it is a shame this play calls tonight its closing.

The Players present THE CHANGELING!

Yesterday afternoon I auditioned for the Shakespeare Institute Players - the postgraduate drama group here in Stratford. As a group we had decided to produce The Changeling by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley.

To my surprise, I have been cast as Beatrice-Joanna (the leading lady)!

I am a little anxious to be taking on this role at the institute. As this is my first encounter with the play, I will being doing extensive research over the next few weeks as we enter rehearsal.

Tonight I am off to see Cardenio, Shakespeare's lost play re-imagined, at the Royal Shakespeare Company. I truly cannot wait to sit in the Swan and bathe myself in what I hope to be a brilliant show.