Welcome to the 11th Play of Christmas. Today we shall look at Shakespeare’s “Henry VIII”. Unusually, “Henry VIII” isn’t performed that often, which is a sad thing because it is a great play. Following the story of Henry VIII through the end of his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon and his second marriage to Ann Boleyn. The actual story is gripping, and adding the … Continue reading The 12 Plays of Christmas – Day 11 – Henry VIII
Welcome to Day 8 and 2018! Yay! Today brings us to one of my favourite Shakespearean plays – “Pericles; The Prince of Tyre”. Over the last few years I have become obsessed with trying to win this award for the most unusual choice of play, which has led to me reading a number of unusual Shakespearean texts. “Pericles; The Prince of Tyre” has it all, … Continue reading The 12 Plays of Christmas – Day 8 – Pericles, the Prince of Tyre
As New Years Eve is known as Hogmany in Scotland, what better choice for the 12 Plays of Christmas for Day 7 than ‘the Scottish Play’ itself, “MacBeth”. “MacBeth” is a tragedy centred around the character MacBeth, as he plots and takes over the role as King of Scotland. MacBeth, a soldier, bumps into witches who predict he will become Thane of Cawdor and well … Continue reading The 12 Plays of Christmas – Day 7 – MacBeth
Today we shall dive headfirst into the “Merry Wives of Windsor” for the 12 Plays of Christmas…. why? Well, long story short, there are many places called Windsor, and many plays with Falstaff in them. There are 2 plots within the play. The first involves Falstaff attempting to trick married women, saying that he loves them (in identical letters). The women are smart and compare … Continue reading 12 Plays of Christmas – Day 6 – The Merry Wives of Windsor
Not that long ago I was planning my “12 Days of Christmas Knits” for my other blog, when the idea struck that clearly I needed to commemorate the 12 days of Christmas with Shakespearean plays, and an idea of how scenes could be staged, given my passion for the Otago University Sheilah Winn Festival of Shakespeare. If you would like a freebie, here is a … Continue reading The 12 Plays of Christmas – Day 1 – “Love’s Labour’s Lost”
This year we participated in the Write for Rights event from Amnesty International. Our aim was to help highlight the issues surrounding illegal timber poaching in Madagascar and the wrongful imprisonment of Clovis. So we wrote and performed a play, loosely connected to Dr Seuss’s “The Lorax”, using elements of Brecht and Commedia in performance. Here is the play live: Continue reading Amnesty International – Write for Rights – I speak for the trees
Obviously we all know that the tech crew are the unsung heroes of the theatre. They work long hours behind the scenes, thanklessly, often to be disregarded by the cast in the wings. However, it is these guys that are the heart and soul of a team. Actors have one job- to do their character well. The tech team always have the whole cast, and … Continue reading The importance of your Backstage Tech Crew
Every year Amnesty International holds a “Write for Rights” campaign. The aim is to encourage people to write to governments and officials to help improve the lives of those who are being treated unjustly. And this year, I’m involved. The campaign is running already, and as one element of it in the local area, I’ve been asked to put together a theatrical performance in the … Continue reading Amnesty International – Write for Rights
Last night I sat listening to the audience of a packed community theatre. People laughed at the jokes, but to themselves. Then we had the intermission, with tea and chocolate biscuits. This audience stood around chatting, and sharing a snack, becoming a community. In the second half the laughter was full force, out loud and happy. Why the change? Well, before the intermission, the audience … Continue reading Why Community Theatre Matters
Earlier this year I agreed to direct Roger Hall’s “Book Ends” for the Greytown Little Theatre. Why this play? I am still not sure what drew me to it, partly I think the challenge of dealing with older gentlemen, as generally I spend my days with the young. I have had a ball working with these lovely chaps over the last few months, but it … Continue reading Roger Hall’s “Book Ends”
Beyond Theatre 