March 2024 A new production “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is set to play York Theatre Royal next month (April 9-13), starring Tweedy the Clown in the golden role that is Bottom (also taking the role of comedy advisor for the production). Tweedy is well-known for his 15-year tenure at Giffords Circus and renowned for his... Continue Reading →
Review: Northern Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet (Touring)
Friday, 8th March 2024 at Leeds Grand Theatre. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Of all of Shakespeare’s plays, Romeo and Juliet is one of the most popular choices for adaptations across art forms. The tale of “star-crossed lovers” captures imaginations in ways that few other stories have - and Sergei Prokofiev’s music is a glowing example. Shakespeare’s central threads... Continue Reading →
Review: The Merchant of Venice (1936) – Touring
Tuesday, 14th November 2023 at York Theatre Royal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mild spoilers ahead… The Merchant of Venice: comedy? Romance? So some say. To me it’s always been a tragedy of powerlessness which wrongfully sidelines its most compelling character, so I am a huge fan of this latest adaptation which restructures and reframes the story to place... Continue Reading →
Interview: Tracy-Ann Oberman talks “The Merchant of Venice 1936”
November 2023 The critically acclaimed touring production of The Merchant of Venice (reimagined for 1936 London) is arriving at York Theatre Royal this month (14-18 November). Starring Tracy-Ann Oberman (“Mother of Him”, “Pinter at The Pinter”, “Noises Off” ) as Shylock, the production promises to be a bold take on Shakespeare’s story. Here, Oberman chats... Continue Reading →
Review: Much Ado About Nothing (Tour)
Tuesday 27th September 2022 at Leeds Playhouse. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ All’s fair in love and a merry war? Ask this bunch! Much Ado About Nothing is one of William Shakespeare’s best comedies - it’s certainly one of my absolute favourites. Here, Ramps on the Moon and Sheffield Theatres have teamed up for a production of this comedic... Continue Reading →
Spotlight on: Frantic Assembly’s “Othello” – Lyn Gardner Chats to AD Scott Graham
September 2022 Interview by: Lyn Gardner Why did you change Shakespeare’s language? That’s the question that someone in the audience asked leading British theatre company Frantic Assembly after seeing its production of Shakespeare’s Othello which relocates the play from 16th century Venice to a pub on a run-down Yorkshire housing estate in a post-industrial town.... Continue Reading →
Review: Northern Broadsides’ “As You Like It”
Wednesday 23rd March 2022 at York Theatre Royal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ As You Like It is a tricky comedy to stage. It’s rich with famous Shakespearean gems and some great characters, but it’s also labyrinthian in places and it’s certainly one of the more overly generous of Will’s plays in terms of running time, which makes it... Continue Reading →
Review: Macbeth (Leeds Playhouse)
Friday 4th March, 2022, at Leeds Playhouse. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ In Shakespeare’s epic tragedy, ambition provides the ultimate downfall for its eponymous tragic hero. In this production though, ambition finds rich rewards, and as with her 2019 Hamlet, this take on Macbeth provides a great example of Director Amy Leach’s impressive talent for staging Shakespeare’s work for... Continue Reading →
Interview: HandleBards AD Tom Dixon Talks Shaking Up Shakespeare
February 2022 The playfully irreverent HandleBards travel the land armed with lively, comic takes on Shakespeare’s plays, bringing the funny to plays in which we might least expect to find it. This inventive troupe are currently bringing a comic take on “Macbeth” to audiences, touring it until March 9th, before taking on “Twelfth Night” until... Continue Reading →
Review: The HandleBards’ Macbeth
Tuesday 25th January 2022 at York Theatre Royal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The HandleBards are back, and this time they’re taking on Shakespeare’s Macbeth in a loose, comic retelling. As with their recent tour of Romeo and Juliet, this production moves at a mile a minute and keeps all involved on their toes, with Emma Sampson directing three... Continue Reading →