The Rover is one of the all-time great Restoration comedies. One of the greatest silly romps of any era of playwriting, in fact, because it has everything: disguises, sword fights, carnival, a girl dressed as a boy, thwarted lovers, drunken shenanigans, sex, danger and a jilted courtesan. And its heroine, Hellena, is the ultimate witty wench.
I thought it would be fun to share my list of things I have noticed Shakespeare does repeatedly, and ask if you have any others.
The recent import from the BBC 4, Shakespeare Uncovered, is a six-part series in which one well-known public face of the theatre each episode gives an in-depth, personal walk-through a selection from Shakespeare’s plays. Four examine a single play, the… Read More ›
Theatre director & writer Roslyn Oades is currently researching a new theatre project exploring the experiences of 18 and 80 years, and what can be learnt from these two very different viewpoints.The first stage of the project (Feb-June 2013) will focus on the 80 year and over age group. Roslyn is currently looking for interested community members to participate in conversation groups as well as community workers who may be able to assist her in this process.
The shows we love, the shows we love to hate, the shows we want to love but just don’t do it for us, guilty pleasures and comfort viewing: what floats your televisual boat and why?
What I found particularly satisfying about the series was how the character-based narrative kept overturning my initial conceptions, each POV episode revealing new challenges, realisations, secrets and dreams as events unreel.
In Othello, it is Emilia, unfortunate wife of the villainous Iago, who delivers the woman’s equivalent of Shylock’s more famous “Has not a Jew eyes?” speech.
Such is the focus on the central couple that it is easy to forget that two husbands kill their wives in this play.
Since I just finished re-reading Pride and Prejudice, who else can I start with but Lizzy and Darcy?
Hoyden About Town 