Going to Stratford...

[fajrdrako]

On Thursday morning I took the train to Stratford, Ontario to see some of the plays at their Shakespeare Festival. I must say, train is the way to go: comfortable and convenient. We left Ottawa at 6 a.m., a barbaric time, and got into Stratford at 12:45, just in time to go to the matinee performance of Coriolanus with Colm Feore. After supper (Chinese, at Gene's) I went to see Henry IV, part 1 at the Tom Patterson theatre. The next day, I went to a lecture called "Proud Warrior and Boy of Tears: The Dual Nature of Coriolanus" by David Zesmer, a professor from the University of Michigan.

We spent the afternoon wandering bookstores, gift shops, and The Chocolate Factory, and then went back to the Festival Theatre to look at the gift shop there - I was looking at a wonderful book called There is Nothing Like a Dane by Clive Francis, which is jokes and anecdotes about productions of Hamlet. For instance:

Prince Hamlet thought Uncle a traitor
For having it off with his Mater
Revenge Dad or not?
That's the gist of the plot,
And he did - nine soliloquies later.
- - - by Stanley J. Sharpless

Then after eating egg salad sandwiches and reading in the lobby, we went to see Much Ado About Nothing.

Next morning, we took the train home.

My comments on the plays:

Coriolanus

This starred Colm Feore. I'm not sure that more need be said. But of course... I will say more.

I first saw Colm Feore as Cassius in Julius Caesar, years ago. He was so stunningly good that Anne and I were fumbling through our programmes in the dark, trying to figure out who the actor playing Cassius was. After that, I made a point of finding plays that had him in them. And generally I have seen many roles on TV and in movies in which I thought he was wonderful, but I was disappointed by him as John Ford in Merry Wives of Windsor, and by his Hamlet.

This time, I was not disappointed. I thought Colm Feore's acting was smart, sexy, powerful and (best of all) he kept Shakespeare's fascinating ambiguity regarding Coriolanus. Should we sympathize with him, or not? Is the theme that pride goes before a fall, or is there more to it than that?

At the end of Act 1, I was enthusing to maaseru about how good I thought the production was, how clear the diction, and how the direction made it absolutely clear what was happening and what each speech meant. The young man sitting on the other side of me asked woefully, "What does it mean?" So I explained the plot to them, and then had a terrible moment of uncertainty: was my ability to unerringly understand Shakespeare failing me? Was I maybe - all wrong? Was I misinterpreting the whole plot? I turned nervously to maaseru, who confirmed my version. Whew. The young man was a British visitor from Cambridge.

Basically, the story: Coriolanus is a Roman in Republican times, a soldier fighting the Volscians, pitted over and over against his arch-enemy Aufidius, a Volscian soldier. Coriolanus manages to get himself into the Volscian city and defeat their army single-handed. (Aufidius escapes.) For his amazing military feat, Coriolanus is made a consul.

But Consuls have to be chosen by the people - the Roman mob - and Coriolanus doesn't want to have to make political speeches, curry favour, or trade on his recent wounds. He is persuaded by his mother and friends to try, but he half-botches the job, and when the Tribunes who don't like him get into the act, the Romans - rather than honouring him - exile him from the city, fearing his aristocratic tendencies.

Embittered, Coriolanus wanders to the home of his old enemy Aufidius, who takes him in. Coriolanus soon has control of the Volscian army and is about to burn Rome to the ground, but his mother and wife and son come and made a tearful appeal and he changes his mind. Having at this point betrayed his homeland, his family, his enemy-friend and two armies, Coriolanus has found his heart but lost his credibility and the Roman mob kills him.

First; did I mention that Colm Feore as Coriolanus was really sexy? Well, he was.

Second, it was slashy. When Coriolanus goes to Aufidius' home, where he more or less bullies his way in past Aufidius' servants, Aufidius embraces him and has a lovely speech about how much Coriolanus has meant in his life, how he must come and live with him, how he loves Coriolanus more than his beautiful young wife. At this point, maaseru and I nudged each other and grinned (no point winking in a dark theatre) and the three women sitting in front of us in the theatre nudged each other and bounced happily in their seats. Later on, there's a moment where Coriolanus meets his wife again and kisses her; Aufidius turns away from the sight, distressed. We loved that, too.

I was puzzling over the details of the plot. Is it just about how pride can bring a proud man down? Or is it about the dehumanizing values of militarism? Is it about personal loyalty and betrayal? I'm still puzzling about that.

It is a good, strong, riveting production. And Colm Feore is sexy.



Henry IV, part 1 Easy plot, this time: Prince Hal has been slumming with thieves and lowlives while his father King Henry IV struggles with a growing civil war. The rebels have in their number a counterpart of Prince Hal, the son of the Earl of Northumberland, Hotspur, who is political and passionate and a brave soldier - all the things King Henry wants his wastrel son to be, but which Hal isn't.

So Hal, playing games and practical jokes and bantering with his drunken surrogate-father Falstaff, has to make a choice between royal duty and personal inclination. He opts for duty and must turn away from his friends.

There's a battle; he kills Hotspur and redeems himself in his father's eyes.

Okay, that's my version. In this production, though I loved the banter as always, I had no sense of real affection between Hal and Falstaff, which gave an oddly brittle tone to the story. Hal seemed cold, as if he was learning from his experiences, but the implication was that he was rebelling against his father rather than that he was enjoying the company of his friends. Falstaff took on the battle of wits and words, but without warmth and he seemed outclassed and defeated by the sharp-witted prince - who might be said to be bullying him. With the charm and affection I wanted to see there, Hal's warm rediscovery of his real father seemed weaker than it should. Was turning away from Falstaff a wrench, here? If so so, I didn't see it.



Proud Warrior and Boy of Tears The lecture by David Zesmer. His contention was first, that Coriolanus is one of the best of Shakespeare's plays, because it's one of the most subtle; and second, that Coriolanus is a dual figure, half mythic hero, half immature little boy.

One of the most interesting things about the talk was his discussion of a poem by Delmar Schwartz called Coriolanus and his Mother. I have been unable to find a copy of this poem online or in the local libraries. It's a rather long poem in which a group of people are watching a production of Coriolanus: the ghosts of Aristotle, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Beethoven, the narrator, and an unnamed character. (Perhaps Shakespeare himself?) Each sees the play in a different light - to Marx it's about social politics, to Freud it's about Coriolanus' relationship with his mother, and so on. I'd like to read this poem.

The lecture was held in the Paul D. Fleck Marquee, which turns out to be a lovely sunny room whose windows - the entire long side of the Festival Theatre - overlook the Avon River and the lawn and parkland. Lovely. I kept wanting to turn away from the lecture, entertaining though it was, to look at the view behind me.



Much Ado About Nothing My favourite Shakespeare comedy. And though there were many things I liked about this presentation, it wasn't high on my list of favourite versions. The first problem was Peter Donaldson, who played Benedick. Donaldson is not a bad actor - he charmed me as the play continued. But I have a grudge against him for boring me with a terrible performance as Sir Percy Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel, in which he was a few dozen years too old to play the Pimpernel in the first place. And now he is as old as he was then plus however many years have passed by since then, making him even more unsuitably old to play Benedick. Grey and balding.... but so were all the other men except Claudio.

The costumes were drab: white, black and tan. Two exceptions, a rather fetching peach dress on Hero in the beginning, and a rather odd blue jacket on Claudio in the middle. Don Pedro was awful even if you didn't compare him to Denzel Washington, who was so perfect in that role that no one can compete. Dogberry, however, was surprisingly good - the first time I've seen a Dogberry that wasn't primarily slapstick, so the clarity of the malapropisms really came through. (Why do they call the malapropisms instead of dogberryisms? I ask you, is that fair?) Lucy Peacock alarmed me in her first scene by doing odd bounces with her head in time to her poetry - it was most distracting. Bouncing as she talked? But she stopped doing it and made quite an excellent Beatrice. Too bad, on the whole, that she had to act with Donaldson. His comedy, his pacing and his endearing characterization were delightful, but in the dull costumes, with him looking like someone's grandfather... It just didn't quite work.

I am always curious about how they stage my favourite scene, the "Kill Claudio" moment. This production did it as comedy, and it got a big laugh. I always prefer it to be a moment of intense drama - romance - the turning point of these people's lives, and they know it, and they know they're blowing it all, but they do what they must, say what they must. I love it. But there are so many ways to make the scene work that it has almost infinite variations.

That thought, and the staging, made me wonder how Shakespeare himself staged this play. Did he have potted trees for the orchard? How did they indicate the Duke's palace, or the garden? The set here, though minimal, was reminiscent of the Kenneth Branagh movie in style. I suppose there are only so many ways to indicate baroque Sicily.


It's expensive to go to Stratford. I can't afford to do it often. But dammit, I must make more of an effort to do it more - I hadn't been for years, and I was reminded how very much it means to me.

So: I resolve to go again next year. Really. Rumour is that Paul Gross will be back doing something. I'm still sorry I missed his Hamlet.

Comments

[widget-alley.livejournal.com]

I just saw Fear Her. It was one big giant bundle of, "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww." And then, "Waaaaaaaah", because... well, you know, and I'm about to. Seriously. Normally I don't buy into the ships actually fed to me by the show's writers, and am all about the side characters (Jackie/Jack! Mickey/Cathica! Or whatever), but I have bought Rose/Doctor. Many times over, as a matter of fact. In fact, I probably have buckets of extra Rose/Doctor that I purchased just lying about somewhere. I have every edition. In every colour. If they had a special extended... but I digress. The point is: awwww. Also, wah.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Doctor/Rose? Yes. I never thought it would get to me. It did. It's the relationship that overwhelms us against our will. I am putty in its hands. It's really quite amazing.

I thought Nina Sosanya, who plays Trish in Fear Her, was utterly gorgeous. Turns out she is the same actress I also admired (and swooned over) in Casanova. At least I'm consistent!

Mickey/Cathica - now, that's a nice pairing! I don't recall what happened to Cathica in the end....

The point is: awwww.

Yup. Definitely.

[wanderinunicorn.livejournal.com]

Last week I've rented two movies - two versions of Hamlet in order to compare: a traditional version with Mel Gibson (directed by Franco Zefirelli) and a modern version with Ethan Hawke. I couldn't enyoy the modern version, it really looked weird and sounded grotesque. Either the immortal verses of Shakespeare nor a good actor couldn't save that movie.

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

Grey and balding.... but so were all the other men except Claudio.

Oh dear.

I uploaded the David-Tennant-as-Benedick BBC audio of Much Ado the other day - half the files are up and I should post the rest of the links today.

Did the package I sent you last month ever arrive? It was mainly Cracker but I may have included the DT Much Ado. Mind like a sieve. Actuully, if you did get it, send me a list of what's on it, so that I don't waste space duplicating stuff on the next dvd package. I haven't forgotten that I promised you all sorts of obscure Eccleston stuff. BTW, I got hold of a copy of his Othello and wow, it's brilliant! Have you seen it yet?

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

It's expensive to go to Stratford

Hell yeah, lol. We just missed each other. For cripe's sake, woman, had we timed it better we could've met.

We all remarked about Donaldson. We ALL wanted a suitably young Benedick, dammit. The one plus in seeing him was that I had just seen him playing the murderous Cardinal in Duchess of Malfi, so it was a nice whiplash in characterization.

He played the Scarlet Pimpernel? Weird. I'm glad I didn't see that. I love Percy and that would've scarred me.

I am always curious about how they stage my favourite scene, the "Kill Claudio" moment

Yesss! I was taken aback that it was comedic. I had never seen this done on stage before and I've always read that part as dramatic, not comedic (I kept thinking of the way it is played out in The Vizard Mask). I guess it worked for the production. I needed a 'funny play' after Duchess.

I really wanted to see Coriolanus. *sob* But I was POOR, and for Eden, I had to see Twelfth Night.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Oh dear.

Oh yes, LOL. Everyone in that production was too old.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

PS, nice icon!

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

David Tennant is eminently swoonsome as Benedick. Voice only, unfortunately.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

That's most unfortunate to not have the rest of him.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, but - that lovely voice! Way better than most other voices. Still swoonworthy.

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

I have my imagination! ;)

Have you heard him as Benedick? If not, go and download! (http://rosiespark.livejournal.com/57989.html?nc=9)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I saw those - I didn't think Mel Gibson was a great Hamlet but there were some good moments in that movie, and the end was surprisingly moving. Have you seen the Kenneth Branagh movie? It too is imperfect, but he has the spirit of the play - nad of course the beautiful verses.

I know there are other movie versions of Hamlet out there that I haven't seen - I must find them.

When I was in my teens, I saw the Olivier version of Hamlet and hated it so much I swore I'd never watch another Olivier movie.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, the package arrived and I sent you a message about it which probably crossed with this. (Or we have missing email. Quite possible.) Yes, it had both Cracker and Much Ado, and the cooking show, and... well, I'm not at home so I can't check what else. Much viewing pleasure!

I haven't seen the Othello yet - I was thinking of having an Othello party on the weekend with commodorified and Alayne, if they are available.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

We just missed each other. For cripe's sake, woman, had we timed it better we could've met.

Well, we will just have to try again. I do plan to go back next year!

We ALL wanted a suitably young Benedick, dammit.

Yes. It isn't as if we don't have any good young male actors around. Not to mention cute studly ones. Heck, I'd have been happier if Donaldson played Claudio and the guy who played Claudio was Benedick. It isn't as if the play doesn't have references to Benedick that call him a 'youth' and he contrasts himself to the old men like Leonato. Which all sounds particularly weird coming from Donaldson.

Peter Donaldson did a fine job and I suppose they wanted to cast against type, but still - I can't help being disappointed.

The one plus in seeing him was that I had just seen him playing the murderous Cardinal in Duchess of Malfi, so it was a nice whiplash in characterization.

Woo, that must have been a shock. What did you think of the Duchess? I always think the play is too grim to enjoy but a good production might pull it off anyway.

I love Percy and that would've scarred me.

It scarred me for sure. The playscript isn't very good in the first place (not compared to Orczy's wonderful books) and having an older lead just shot down any chance it had of being watchable. I squirmed.

I've always read that part as dramatic, not comedic

Me too. I've seen it done all sorts of ways but it always strikes me that it should be excruciating. It's such a pivotal point: two people who have just discovered love, who have happiness in their grasp and they know it, and they have to deliberately blow their changes because of their own senses of honour and loyalty and being what they are - there's just so much there, such substance and character, it seems a shame to waste it on a comic moment.

I needed a 'funny play' after Duchess.

I can imagine. And I thought this one was very funny, and especially good in that it didn't make the play silly or slapstick - so why didn't I like it more? I guess it's that the romance and drama in Much Ado generally mean more to me than the jokes. And so much of the comedy is in the characters, you don't have to sacrifice the romance and drama to make it funny. A really, really good production manages to balance them.

But I was POOR,

Me too. Otherwise I'd have stayed a week and seen everything.

and for Eden, I had to see Twelfth Night.

What does Eden have to do with Twelfth Night?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Everyone in that production was too old.

Yes: they could have advertised it as the Senior's Version. Hero, Beatrice and Claudio weren't too bad - though I would, personally, have cast Hero with a younger actress. Everybody else looked so old you wondered where all the young people in Messina were hiding.

[widget-alley.livejournal.com]

And the writers do that thing, that writers always do, where they hit you the hardest with the adorableness and the happy before they tear it, cackling wildly, from your hands and jump up and down on it. So they give us Rose as her most charming ("Not gonna open it... not gonna open it..." *opens it anyway*), and the Doctor in fine form ("Edible ball-bearings!" ... which was a great thing for him to fixate on, because I too have always wondered about those), and Rose-and-the-Doctor ("Are you deducting?", the way other people would ask, "Are you wearing a revealing-- yet classy!-- black dress and spectacularly flattering heels?")

I thought Nina Sosanya, who plays Trish in Fear Her, was utterly gorgeous.

I actually remarked along those lines to my mum when we were watching. She's beautiful. And I love her hair!

[widget-alley.livejournal.com]

Dammit, I wasn't done with that, I didn't mean to hit post yet... *sigh*

Mickey/Cathica was sort of the first thing that sprang into my head, I've never actually given it any thought, but yeah, that could be interesting. It might even get Cathica to lighten up a bit. They could get together and have long conversations about how much they simultaneously dislike and want the approval of the Doctor. *grin*

Yup. Definitely.

This is gonna be like Boom Town, innit? I'm going to look back and go, "I should have just stopped there! While it was all sunshine and flirting and smiles! *sob*"

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

commodorified has offered me a version with Sam West as Benedick. Now there's another swoonworthy voice!

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

Never got the message. I'm glad it got there, and that Much Ado was on it - and the square orange. That explains why you haven't fallen on the uploads with cries of joy. *g*

If you have an Othello party, I'll be there in spirit!

I recently read somewhere that RTD was thinking initially of CE for the part of Stuart in QaF. That won't seem so surprising once you've seen him in Othello - the energy and the charm are certainly there.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

they hit you the hardest with the adorableness and the happy before they tear it, cackling wildly, from your hands

Yes. This is what Art is all about. Or good TV shows. It's like being set up on a long twisty waterslide: you know you're helpless, you know you'll scream, but once you start from the top you're in it for the long haul and enjoying every terrible moment.

Edible ball bearing - don't you love it?

Nina Sosanya was also in "Casanova", written by Russell T. Davies and starring David Tennant. In her first scenes, she's dressed as a boy, and she's gorgeous in any guise.

That show had another "Doctor Who" actor I loved - people Davies likes working with, I guess - the guy who plays the Captain in "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit". Shaun Parkes.

I really like the guy who plays Jake too, but I can't recall his name.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

They could get together and have long conversations about how much they simultaneously dislike and want the approval of the Doctor. *grin*

Absolutely! And they can wish Rose liked them better than the Doctor, but it is never to be?

This is gonna be like Boom Town, innit? I'm going to look back and go, "I should have just stopped there!

Now, now, stop living in fear of "Doomsday". You know it will be terrible and wonderful. Just bite the bullet, get your kleenex out, and watch it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Never got the message.

Nuts. And here I was babbling on about "Queer as Folk" in it too. I watched part of the first episode of QaF yesterday, loving it once again - love Nathan's first encounter with Stuart! - I mean the really first moment, in the street, with the talking-heads narration, though come to think of it I like their first sex scene too, with the phone call.

That explains why you haven't fallen on the uploads with cries of joy. *g*

I almost did anyway. But I'm at work. My technical capabilities are limited. Otherwise I'd be trying. Well, maybe I'll try anyway. Who needs a job?

If you have an Othello party, I'll be there in spirit!

I just wish we had a transmat beam, you could be here in person, and I'd beg you to bring Kinnie and Twistees with you.

Eccleston as Stuart? Hrmm. Hard to imagine after being mesmerized by Aidan Gillen but I know he's good enough for it. Whoo. I'd kind of like to see it as an alternate-universe version or something. (Sort of like seeing "The Lion in Winter" with Patrick Stewart after being used to Peter O'Toole.)

Energy. Charm. Eccleston. Othello. I'm in a state of swoon already and I haven't even seen it yet.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

She has offered me a copy too. I can hardly wait. Maybe we need a "Much Ado" party too. Hmm, how to find the time?

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

Where's that transmat beam??!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

We just need Captain Jack to bring us one...

Or get the Doctor to bring the Tardis. It would fit in my living room. I'm sure it would.