PTS 12/074: Carry on, Nurse (and Mercutio) …

BH carry on nurse
I see Queen Mab has been with you …

PTS read-through:  Romeo and Juliet: Act 1, scenes iii and iv

Why is R&J funnier than Love’s Labour’s Lost, or the Comedy of Errors?

Whilst Jonathan Bate tells us that Shakespeare:

borrowed certain techniques of dramatic cross-dressing and comic overhearing from John Lyly [a]

the spine of the comedy here is firmly character-driven, by Juliet’s Nurse and Mercutio. That’s why …
Continue reading “PTS 12/074: Carry on, Nurse (and Mercutio) …”

Alas, Mr. Bump, I knew him, Horatio …

‘Does he think he’s effing Mr Tickle?’, I scribbled feverishly in the dark …

BH andrew scott 2
My sixth-formers commented on the extended nipple arousal … because why WOULDN’T they – we were all 16/17 years-old once …

[Andrew Scott is Hamlet:  director, Robert Icke]

Part One: a six-period day (out of a maximum of six); full of allergies, and C5 full of pupils I sometimes I wonder if I am allergic to; then the first half of this, in my classroom, accompanied by some of my lovely sixth-formers.  By the way:  if you didn’t come along, that doesn’t mean you’re unlovely – it means I missed having you along for the ride.

We had fun.  And you can too, if you come on Monday to see the final half …

Nowadays, I look on Shakespeare performances as ‘cover versions‘ of classic songs. Before we discuss this one, I need to talk about two things:

Continue reading “Alas, Mr. Bump, I knew him, Horatio …”

BBC/RSC Live Anniversary show

Did anyone else watch the BBC’s RSC Live show last night?

Continue reading “BBC/RSC Live Anniversary show”

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