Part 7 Macbeth
- 1999: Swan Theatre. Stratford-Upon-Avon; Japan
- 2000: New Haven Tour
- Filmed for television
In the introduction to this very long chapter, Greg talks about directing Peter Shaffer's play Black Comedy for the Donmar and that trick in it's staging. (I will never forget the performance of the same play at the Nottingham Playhouse in 1969 with Ian McKellen and James Bolan.) Doran's note about Black Comedy is to compare this with his RSC production of Macbeth when he plunges the audience into darkness for the first lines from the three witches. Apparently it did have quite an effect. He rehearsed the witches (or weird sisters) separately. The stars of this play were Anthony Sher and Harriet Walter with Stephen Noonan (a stand up comedian) as the Porter and how they allowed him some freedom in the role. Just like Barrie Rutter as a brilliant Porter in Nottingham.
Again, there is a lot of detail about Greg's interpretation of the plot, but most interesting was some of the stagecraft and tricks he introduced such as a fake brick wall at the back of the Swan's stage that actually melts. He tells us how his version goes so fast it didn't even have an interval. The reviews were universally excellent and tours abroad were arranged. The company was thrilled and a new run staged in London. And the production filmed at The Roundhouse. I now have the DVD.
1969 Nottingham Playhouse and 24th August 2011 Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Part 8 As You Like It
-2000: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon; The Pit, London
Greg starts by looking back on discussions about what plays the RSC would put on for the millennium. (They included Henry V1 Parts 1, 2 and 3 directed by Michael Boyd that I saw on one day at Stratford on 20th December 2000). Greg is directing As You Like It with Alexandra Gilbreath who he thinks will make a perfect Rosalind. He remembers, as a schoolboy, seeing Eileen Atkins in the play, and an understudy called David Suchet. But here, his decision to fill the Forest of Arden using creations by Californian textile designer Kaffe Fassett backfired. The "riot of colour" did not impress the critics and the play had universal poor reviews. All despite Alex Gilbreath's dazzling performance. When it transferred to London, they chose to stage it at the much smaller The Pit with greater success.
I saw a superb As You Like It at Stratford directed by the brilliant Maria Aberg (also seeing her Doctor Faustus, The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, all at the RSC in Stratford and all reviewed on this blog).
22nd August 2013 at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Part 9 King John
-2001: Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon; Newcastle Playhouse, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne; The Pit, London
Greg tells us King John went out of fashion until this century when directors have brought a modern meaning to the performance. He gives us examples. But he went in blind to the text with no research and found he could explore the "contradictory aspects of this fragile king". He found that the first three acts "seemed to speak directly to the moment as rehearsals started in 2001. He tells us how. There follows a hugely detailed interpretation of the play, including how they showed the death of Prince Arthur. (As for all these explanations of the text, if only I had read these before seeing each play, they might have have meant so much more.) There is, for example a marvelous section where he tells us all about The Bastard as "our caustic guide" to the play. As a diversion, towards the end of this section, there is a story about King John being performed in 1917 with bombs dropping nearby.
5th September 2012 at the Swan Theatre, Stratford
