I could bore you with details of large ironing piles, packing and cleaning - but that hardly makes scintillating reading! Instead I thought that I would discuss tonight's activity - Othello.
Several years ago Wendy and I went to our local cinema to watch David Tennant in a live streaming of RSC's Richard 11. I am a big fan of these screenings - I accept that its better to go to a theatre and watch it live - we are doing that with Midsummer Night's Dream next year - but when such a visit is not possible then this is a very good second. For just £12 I get to watch quality, live performances, sleep in my own bed, and watch short information films about the play and its background. I first became a fan when watching a National Theatre production of Frankenstein with Benedict Cumberbatch but Richard 11 opened a whole new world. Unbeknown to us the play was the first in a six year commitment to stream all of Shakespeare's first folio - there's over 30 of them according to the internet! Cue our challenge - could we watch all of them? Tonight's Othello (starring Hugh Quarshie from Holby City) is number 8 and Henry V in October will be 9 - we are nearly in double digits!
But Shakespeare is boring I hear you cry - well I agree that it can be difficult to get into the language but I generally find that after ten minutes or so I am okay. As for boring - well I did doze through the first half of one play whilst "Much ado about nothing" had me crying with laughter. I just believe that, after we have watched each play, our lives have been enriched just a little bit more than before and I cannot understand why more people do not take advantage of these live streams and enjoy the quality of the acting. Today's news, for example, touched on Benedict Cumberbatch's performance in Hamlet last night - a production which now holds the world record for ticket sales - the whole run selling out in just minutes - we have our tickets for the live stream in October!
On a different note - 144 6" x 5" calico pieces cut out and 60 pieces of wadding the same size - I am getting there!
You ate starting to sound cultured - what went wrong!
ReplyDeleteYou don't know the half of it. As we drove home we were criticising the direction of the play!!!
ReplyDelete