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shewhoI am rubbish at Shakespeare.
It’s a long standing thing. I don’t have a problem reading or studying it, analysing it, even acting it. In fact, then I really enjoy it.
I am rubbish at watching Shakespeare.
I think it’s mostly because it takes me too long to adapt to being able to listen and process the language, trying too hard and missing as it zips by at talking speed. After about 15 minutes of this I tend to be able to cope, but by then I’m usually in a huff with the play and can’t be bothered.
Maybe I’ve just seen rotten Shakespeare. I’ve certainly repeatedly tried. Mind you, I've seen acclaimed Fiennes and Postlethwaite productions (Hamlet and Macbeth respectively) and had the same problem. It isn’t that I don’t like the stories. In fact, when turned into musicals (Kiss Me Kate) or trashy films (10 Things I Hate About You) I very much like it. (Of course it’s always possible I only like The Taming of the Shrew!)
So I was a little bit unsure of whether I would cope with The Tempest this weekend. Especially because I’ve never read/ seen it (or Forbidden Planet) and the extent of my knowledge was there was a tempest and a magical island. Though if anyone can make it understandable for me it’d be Patrick Stewart, right? Well, yes actually. Right. Is voice is such that it all sounds perfectly natural. I still had those 15 minutes or so of doooom but importantly I realised why I wasn’t enjoying it and managed to stop my brain panicking and relax and suddenly everything made sense. Phew! I just need to stop thinking of it as some high and mighty art, and realise it’s only entertainment. Duh.
Patrick Stewart (Prospero) is just wonderful, and obviously perfectly at home with anything you throw at him. I’ve seen him several times but never actually doing his first love. I’m always impressed by his comic timing. I also really liked the performance of Trinculo, though diamond_geyser (sitting unknowingly elsewhere with other people in expensive seats) will disagree completely with me here. However, the Best Thing about it really had to be Ariel, as played by Julian Bleach. Yes, the chappie that was the narrator in Shockheaded Peter, which is surely due a revival. Please? Pretty please?
Either way, I think I’d like to test my theory out on some more of the bard this year.
It’s a long standing thing. I don’t have a problem reading or studying it, analysing it, even acting it. In fact, then I really enjoy it.
I am rubbish at watching Shakespeare.
I think it’s mostly because it takes me too long to adapt to being able to listen and process the language, trying too hard and missing as it zips by at talking speed. After about 15 minutes of this I tend to be able to cope, but by then I’m usually in a huff with the play and can’t be bothered.
Maybe I’ve just seen rotten Shakespeare. I’ve certainly repeatedly tried. Mind you, I've seen acclaimed Fiennes and Postlethwaite productions (Hamlet and Macbeth respectively) and had the same problem. It isn’t that I don’t like the stories. In fact, when turned into musicals (Kiss Me Kate) or trashy films (10 Things I Hate About You) I very much like it. (Of course it’s always possible I only like The Taming of the Shrew!)
So I was a little bit unsure of whether I would cope with The Tempest this weekend. Especially because I’ve never read/ seen it (or Forbidden Planet) and the extent of my knowledge was there was a tempest and a magical island. Though if anyone can make it understandable for me it’d be Patrick Stewart, right? Well, yes actually. Right. Is voice is such that it all sounds perfectly natural. I still had those 15 minutes or so of doooom but importantly I realised why I wasn’t enjoying it and managed to stop my brain panicking and relax and suddenly everything made sense. Phew! I just need to stop thinking of it as some high and mighty art, and realise it’s only entertainment. Duh.
Patrick Stewart (Prospero) is just wonderful, and obviously perfectly at home with anything you throw at him. I’ve seen him several times but never actually doing his first love. I’m always impressed by his comic timing. I also really liked the performance of Trinculo, though diamond_geyser (sitting unknowingly elsewhere with other people in expensive seats) will disagree completely with me here. However, the Best Thing about it really had to be Ariel, as played by Julian Bleach. Yes, the chappie that was the narrator in Shockheaded Peter, which is surely due a revival. Please? Pretty please?
Either way, I think I’d like to test my theory out on some more of the bard this year.
