Brush up your Shakespeare
Aug. 6th, 2019 02:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
callmemadamI borrowed this header from the person from whom I got the idea for this post. The plan is to list Shakespeare’s plays, saying whether or not you have read and/or seen them. The trouble with Shakespeare is that you may know a famous speech or two from a play without actually having read the whole thing. I also found Upstart Crow kept interfering with my thoughts.
All’s Well That Ends Well: Can’t remember reading or seeing it.
Antony and Cleopatra: studied this for A-Level. Seen: National Youth Theatre production with Helen Mirren as Cleopatra. My memory of this is that it was at The Roundhouse but I looked it up and it seems to have been the Old Vic. 1965! I was still at school and went with a friend. National Theatre production with Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman; very disappointing. I wonder how many people have seen both productions? I seem to remember a TV production with Colin Blakely as Antony. Perhaps my favourite Shakespeare.
As You Like It: seen, National Theatre
Comedy of Errors: A total mystery to me.
Coriolanus and Cymbeline: never seen and no desire to see; too gory.
Hamlet: read at school. Never seen on stage but have seen the Olivier film and the Russian one.
Henry IV, Part 1: we read this at school. With the exception of Henry VIII, I think I’ve seen most of these history plays in one of those long TV seasons.
Henry IV, Part II
Henry V: know it quite well, so must have read it. Seen: the Olivier film and Kenneth Branagh’s.
Henry VI, Part I
Henry VI, Part II
Henry VI, Part III
Henry VIII
Julius Caesar: read at school, never seen.
King John: know the famous parts.
King Lear: know it well but can’t bear to see it in a theatre, it’s too much for me. Have seen TV productions.
Love’s Labour’s Lost: Know nothing.
Macbeth: read at school. Seen, the National Youth Theatre production, which was definitely at the Roundhouse.
Measure for Measure: ignorant again.
Merchant of Venice: know quite well so must have read it. Have only seen TV versions, I think.
Merry Wives of Windsor: know very little.
Midsummer Night’s Dream: read and seen, at Brownsea Island open air theatre. It was very atmospheric, getting dark as Puck gave the last speech and the peacocks started screeching. Saw the recent eccentric version on TV, which I rather liked. I also played Hermia in a production at the Weald and Downland Museum, back in the 1970s, when it barely existed. I think we acted in an old barn.
Much Ado About Nothing: seen, National Theatre.
Othello: read at school. Seen, National Theatre production with Olivier as Othello and I think Frank Finlay was Iago (I’ve checked very little, writing this).
Pericles: no and not interested.
Richard II: read but not seen.
Richard III: read and one of my favourites. Seen: Olivier film, National Theatre production with Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch in fairly recent TV version.
Romeo and Juliet: read. I think I’ve seen a film with Edith Evans as the Nurse? Also the Zeffirelli film.
Taming of the Shrew: know the story, that’s about it.
The Tempest: love this. Have only seen it on TV; John Gielgud was Prospero.
Timon of Athens: no fear.
Titus Andronicus: ditto.
Troilus and Cressida: know a few speeches, that’s all.
Twelfth Night: good fun. Another one seen at Brownsea Island.
Two Gentlemen of Verona: nope.
Winter’s Tale: studied for A-Level so know it quite well but never seen.
Hmm, looks like I know much less about Shakespeare than perhaps I thought but I may have forgotten a lot.
All’s Well That Ends Well: Can’t remember reading or seeing it.
Antony and Cleopatra: studied this for A-Level. Seen: National Youth Theatre production with Helen Mirren as Cleopatra. My memory of this is that it was at The Roundhouse but I looked it up and it seems to have been the Old Vic. 1965! I was still at school and went with a friend. National Theatre production with Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman; very disappointing. I wonder how many people have seen both productions? I seem to remember a TV production with Colin Blakely as Antony. Perhaps my favourite Shakespeare.
As You Like It: seen, National Theatre
Comedy of Errors: A total mystery to me.
Coriolanus and Cymbeline: never seen and no desire to see; too gory.
Hamlet: read at school. Never seen on stage but have seen the Olivier film and the Russian one.
Henry IV, Part 1: we read this at school. With the exception of Henry VIII, I think I’ve seen most of these history plays in one of those long TV seasons.
Henry IV, Part II
Henry V: know it quite well, so must have read it. Seen: the Olivier film and Kenneth Branagh’s.
Henry VI, Part I
Henry VI, Part II
Henry VI, Part III
Henry VIII
Julius Caesar: read at school, never seen.
King John: know the famous parts.
King Lear: know it well but can’t bear to see it in a theatre, it’s too much for me. Have seen TV productions.
Love’s Labour’s Lost: Know nothing.
Macbeth: read at school. Seen, the National Youth Theatre production, which was definitely at the Roundhouse.
Measure for Measure: ignorant again.
Merchant of Venice: know quite well so must have read it. Have only seen TV versions, I think.
Merry Wives of Windsor: know very little.
Midsummer Night’s Dream: read and seen, at Brownsea Island open air theatre. It was very atmospheric, getting dark as Puck gave the last speech and the peacocks started screeching. Saw the recent eccentric version on TV, which I rather liked. I also played Hermia in a production at the Weald and Downland Museum, back in the 1970s, when it barely existed. I think we acted in an old barn.
Much Ado About Nothing: seen, National Theatre.
Othello: read at school. Seen, National Theatre production with Olivier as Othello and I think Frank Finlay was Iago (I’ve checked very little, writing this).
Pericles: no and not interested.
Richard II: read but not seen.
Richard III: read and one of my favourites. Seen: Olivier film, National Theatre production with Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch in fairly recent TV version.
Romeo and Juliet: read. I think I’ve seen a film with Edith Evans as the Nurse? Also the Zeffirelli film.
Taming of the Shrew: know the story, that’s about it.
The Tempest: love this. Have only seen it on TV; John Gielgud was Prospero.
Timon of Athens: no fear.
Titus Andronicus: ditto.
Troilus and Cressida: know a few speeches, that’s all.
Twelfth Night: good fun. Another one seen at Brownsea Island.
Two Gentlemen of Verona: nope.
Winter’s Tale: studied for A-Level so know it quite well but never seen.
Hmm, looks like I know much less about Shakespeare than perhaps I thought but I may have forgotten a lot.
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no subject
Date: 2019-08-06 08:34 pm (UTC)I read Hamlet and The Tempest at school. I think there was another but I don't remember which. Not Shakespeare but I do remember that our battleaxe of a headmistress made us read the Greek mythology Odysseus. I hated it at the time but liked it very much when I read it as an adult.
I've read some plays and seen a couple some years ago at local theatre, but mostly I've seen productions on television or film. The last television one was Hamlet filmed at the Almeida Theatre and starring Andrew Scott. I think you might have seen that one. One of the best was the televised recording of the stage version of Othello in the 1980s. Janet Suzman starred in it and it's always stuck in my mind. Of the films I'm very fond of Much Ado About Nothing which some people hate but I think it's wonderfully bright and fun and filmed in a beautiful location with an ace cast.
Both my boys studied Macbeth at school and I really enjoyed doing that with them. I think breaking it down and analysing it made it much more enjoyable as a play.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-07 06:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-08-06 09:04 pm (UTC)I studied Measure for Measure and Hamlet for A level, and I have seen several of others. Both Ralph and Flo performed in The Taming of the Shrew, so I saw that one many times over. Our Year 10s study Macbeth, so I have been helping with that in class. My favourite is The Merchant of Venice (also saw that at The Globe, utterly magnificent).
However - there are loads that I haven't seen or read! I really should do something about it ...
no subject
Date: 2019-08-07 06:40 am (UTC)Macbeth seems to be popular even with quite young children.