My Shakespeare by Greg Doran - Parts 4 to 6

 

Part 4   The Merchant of Venice

- 1997: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon; Barbican Theatre, London; Theatre Royal, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Plymouth Theatre Royal

Greg talks about his first season at the RSC at Stratford with The Merchant of Venice in 1987. Anthony Cher plays Shylock together with an amazing cast. Then ten years later Greg is directing this play with Philip Voss as Shylock. He gives another hugely detailed examination of the play before he talks about directing a production in Japan.

28th May 1988 at The Barbican Theatre, London and 20th August 2015 at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford

See post 24th August 2015

Part 5  The Winters Tale

- 1999: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon; Barbican Theatre, London - Heritage films

Greg starts with an interesting story about how Anthony Sher came to play Leontes and particularly an incredibly novel piece of physicality he produced in rehearsal and then in every performance. After the now expected forensic analysis of the text, he tells us how they used an unusual piece of stagecraft for their "exit, pursued by bear". 

Greg talks about Act 5: "surely one of the most powerful and moving scenes in all of Shakespeare". This chapter, I think, is a must for anyone putting on this play, and for anyone going to see it. I had to go back and read the six pages again. This time I noted that when Greg first read the play all the way through he says "as I finish reading, I want to burst".

30th June 2009 at The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford  (See my post of 7th July 2009 and a trailer on the internet. This production also performed at the Lincoln Center in New York in 2011) and 2nd March 2017 at the Oxford Playhouse

See post 7th July 2009

Part 6  Timon of Athens

- 1999: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon; Theatre Royal, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Barbican Theatre, London

Alan Bates is engaged to play Anthony in the RSC production of Anthony and Cleopatra as well as alternating with Timon in the other production in that season Timon of Athens. But that became too much and instead the brilliant Michael Pennington was drafted in at the last minute to take over as Timon. He was virtually word perfect by the first rehearsal. We are told this is a "very bleak, dark play". Again the cast is amazing. Greg explains all about the big argument that takes place and the superb one liner "Were I like thee, I'd throw away myself". Greg tells us the play is about "the moral degeneracy of mankind". No wonder these plays can be seen time and time again. There is an interesting part about how the music by Duke Ellington from another production was adapted for this one. 

14th August 2012 at The National Theatre's Olivier stage (see my glowing review of 16th August 2012 on this blog with Simon Russell Beale as Timon)