Part 19 Hamlet
- 2008: Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon; Novello Theatre, London - Filmed for the BBC
"It's one of the biggies" says Greg. Especially if performed on the main stage of The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. But this is the Courtyard Theatre. As Hamlet is the longest play in the cannon, coming in at four and a half hours no less, the first job for any director is whether "to cut or not to cut". And how. There are lots of shorter versions available, but Greg sets about sorting his own, looking at two to two and a half hours. (However, when filmed for the BBC, it comes in nearer three). He wants to have a cliff hanger at the interval.
A great cast is assembled headed by David Tennant and Patrick Stewart. There is a lot of interesting stuff about the production, how making it into a thriller, and all in modern dress. (See BBC iPlayer). Greg talks about the process of rehearsal that he has developed over the years, starting with examining the text line by line. There is a nice part about how they play Hamlet killing Polonius. And a bit about the real skull used for Yorick. ("Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him well Horatio ...). As for Patrick's performance as Claudius, "it was distilled to a point where his self-containment had the terrifying intensity of an unexploded bomb".
The production in Stratford was a sell-out, as was the transfer to the Novello Theatre in London. But then disaster struck! David Tennant suffered a prolapsed disc and was carted off to hospital. We hear how his understudy Ed Bennett rose to the occasion, as did all the actors who moved up one. David was back for the last week, and that recording for BBC 2 that was shown on Boxing Day. Another triumph.
22nd October 1988 The Barbican Theatre, London
20th August 2015 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Part 20 Love's Labour's Lost
- 2008: Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Greg starts with a part about Rosaline and whether she was written as a brown or black character. "The overt racism is troubling". Greg asks if it might have been a talented black boy in Shakespeare's company for whom he wrote Rosaline. For this production, Greg has cast Nina Sosanya who we know quite well from the TV. This was the final play in Greg's three part season after Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Greg talks about the role of Armado played by Joe Dixon of whom was said "Shakespeare's homage to lifelong immaturity". Double intenders by the bucket load. We get a long run down of the final act "the longest scene in Shakespeare" where we get a full three page analysis.
Greg was so concerned that at the end, the two main charaters (David Tennant as Berowne and Nina Sosanya as Rosaline) are separated. He thinks about Loves Labours Won (Much Ado About Nothing) and how that might save them. So in 2014, he put on both plays together. See my post of the latter 23rd October 2014.
13th November 2008 The Rose Theatre, Kingston-Upon-Thames
Part 21 Twelfth Night
- 2009: Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon; Duke of York's Theatre, London
A long introduction tells us about Greg and his twin Ruth and what incidents they shared. So Greg always had an affinity for Twelfth Night. He tells us where and when it is being set: an ex-pat crew on the grand tour. Greg talks about all the unsuccessful productions of this play for the RSC over the years: 1998 - 2001 - 2005. But here Greg has a great cast headed by Richard Wilson who was actually not a Shakespeare fan. And two actresses who actually meet for the first time, fall in love, and are married later. Nancy Carroll and Jo Stone-Fewlings. Well, as Greg tells us in detail, the play is all about love.
When Viola has a long talk with Olivia, Greg describes it line by line. Early rehearsals are at St George's Church in Bloomsbury and after six weeks it's back to Stratford and the Courtyard Theatre. Greg takes the cast to the Knot Garden at New Place. Here he reads a piece by J B Priestly from 1928. Opening night is press night and Greg addresses the assembled cast and ends with introducing - Ruth (see above). He talks about how he didn't quite achieve what he wanted after all. But top critic Michael Billington called it "pleasing production". However we are not told any more about it's reception.
13th April 1991 The Playhouse Theatre, London
30th October Watford Palace Theatre
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