Impulsively Reading Since...

I've been spending a lot of time with various bits of Shakespeare lately, mostly for the story.  This led me to discover today that Playing Shakespeare is now streaming on Netflix.  We'd had the discs in a couple of years ago and I'm ever so pleased that it's now easier to watch it all.

If you've not seen this before, it's absolutely the funnest thing in the world.  Basically, John Barton, who was a co-founder of the RSC, got together a bunch of RSC actors and proceeded to tape about nine hours of talking about acting in Shakespeare's plays.  You get young Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Judi Dench, Ben Kingsley, and David Suchet to name just a few.  The episodes are split up into five or ten minute lectures/discussions regarding the specific technique or topic and then some actual acting goes on.  I highly recommend it to anyone who is even vaguely interested in Shakespeare or who enjoys British drama.

I apologize for the poor quality of this video.  I taped it with my camera because while there are some clips out there on youtube, I particularly wanted to share this speech from Henry V.  This is one of my favorite plays, probably because it is one of the first I ever saw performed live.  It has stuck with me and I love it dearly.  Also, I feel this bit really gets across how much fun these people are all having while doing this.  Lots of background Patrick Stewart does not go amiss either.  :-)  Incidentally, Michael Williams, who takes the role of Henry here, was Judi Dench's husband.  I fear he's not terribly well known (at least as far as I can tell this side of the pond) but he and Judi did a cute little show called A Fine Romance together.



And because within one of the episodes of Playing Shakespeare John Barton directs our attention to this little gem of a piece by Fry & Laurie, have that as well.

Let me first say that I am pretty much crap at producing any kind of visual art - other than photography, I guess. I love to go see art and learn about it, but I certainly have never studied it in any capacity. So when I sat down to type, ‘So I learned a couple things tonight,’ I realized that what I meant was, ‘A person and a sign offered me facts about specific pieces of artwork. These sources, while well-meaning and very likely quite knowledgable, could be mistaken and I would never know it.’ So that’s my disclaimer. Don’t go spouting any of this off without verifying with an expert you trust.

I was told that Ruben’s The Massacre of the Innocents was painted with a specific viewpoint in mind - an actual, physical viewpoint - and so its perspective doesn’t look correct unless you view it from the far right and about 15-20 feet underneath it; apparently the ‘to the right’ part of this is more important (or at least more feasible under the circumstances) than the ‘it should be hanging way above your head’ aspect, because that’s the first bit of information I got. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_the_Innocents_%28Rubens%29
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performed live for her birthday?  *squee!*  And isn't the timing just utterly perfect?  I will be taking notes!

I was going to get tickets to this, but then I saw the typo.



So instead I'll be attending this concert.  It's not Bartok, but it is a string quartet, so I'm definitely keeping it all in the 'you can imagine' family.  :0)

Mass bathing scene. Your lot aren’t going to manage that I expect.

*a considerable pause*

Sherlock?

Shush.

------

Ouch. Damning with faint praise. Ha. Short daughter. Clearly I fall in love with you because you’re so tall.

-----

Hm. Should I have a beard?

*a considerable pause*

Yes.

-----

Hazily, he took in the buzzing audience of elegantly attired Holmeses. “You bastard,” he breathed. “You utter bastard. Seriously? They take it seriously? You failed to mention that they erected the bloody Globe in the back garden!”

But see, wait, now her father is saying he wants her to say yes if the Prince asks her to marry him.

Yes.

But the Prince is going to give her to Claudio.

Yes.

How is her father going to feel about that?

Glad to be rid of her.

Seriously, Sherlock. This is classic bait and switch. You want a Prince for the family and you end up with this sap, Claudio.

This was when you paid the man to take away your daughter, John.

*a considerable pause*

Hm. Right.

I can't believe I'm doing this.  OK.  Help me brainstorm.

Members of the extended Holmes family - be as detailed as you possibly can please, because if I'm doing this, I am not doing it alone!  Character sketches - give 'em to me! 

Go!

( The exchange which led to this insane request. )

Edinburgh trip report – early April 2012

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I typed Shakespeare into LJ's search field.  I really did not expect this to elicit strange results - but it did.  Try it - it is fascinating.  Please report back.

Recently we saw this adaptation of The Tempest.  It was interesting, and we were really sorry that we gave up our first row seats – due to a mix-up with another audience member and his wheelchair - because we really would have liked to have gotten a closer look at the puppetry since that was what made the show, really.


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