King Lear, Old Vic
/Glenda Jackson takes on the role of King Lear in this much-awaited production of the tragedy at London’s Old Vic. It comes 25 years after Jackson’s decision to give up acting for politics.
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King Lear, Old Vic Bristol
/The renowned Timothy West plays Lear alongside up-and-coming actors studying at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. The production marks not only the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, but also the 250th anniversary of the Bristol Old Vic and the 70th anniversary of its Theatre School.
Read MoreRichard III, Almeida Theatre
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Ralph Fiennes and Vanessa Redgrave star respectively as the King and Queen Margaret in this Almeida Theatre production. It marks Fiennes’s return to the Almeida stage after sixteen years.
Read MoreShakespeare Demystified: The Merchant of Venice
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The Kuala Lumpur Shakespeare Players began their Shakespeare Demystified series in 2011 with Julius Caesar. The aim of the project, run annually, is to make Shakespeare accessible to the "general masses." The productions are minimalist and creative, combining original canonical speeches with narration in contemporary English.
Read MoreQueen Lear, Union Theatre
/In this production of Shakespeare’s Lear, Phil Willmott casts Ursula Mohan as the monarch. The tagline of the production is ‘What if King Lear was a Woman?’ Reviewers have commented on the striking mother/daughter dynamics that emerge as a result of the casting choice.
Read MoreThe Tempest, OCTPFAS
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This all-female, nude production of The Tempest in Central Park has captured the world’s attention. The Topless Book Club promotes freedom of expression, freedom of mind, as well as freedom of body. By performing a theatrical production in the nude in a public space, the society aims to promote their goal of “normalising the naked female form."
*Note: this post contains nudity*
Hamlet | Collage, State Theatre of Nations
/Canadian director Robert Lepage and Russian actor Yevgeny Mironov first brought their experimental one-man production of Hamlet to the Russian stage at the end of 2013. The production is set in and around a central rotating cube and makes extensive use of video technology. It is to be revived in May this year at Moscow's Theatre of Nations.
Read MoreBard by the Beach Festival, Morecambe
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Morecambe’s first Shakespearean festival is set to run over the weekend of Shakespeare’s birthday. Alongside theatrical performances there will also be music, dance events, art and poetry readings. The theatrical productions include: Twelve Nights; Romeo and Juliet; Shakespearean Murder Mystery; Puck’s Dream; A Shakespeare Gallery; Henry V; The Tempest; and The Play’s the Thing.
Read MoreMalvolio's Misorder, Victoria and Albert Museum
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Dominic Gerrard's play was commissioned for the V&A Performance Festival 2016. A theatrical tour, led by Malvolio, descends into lively chaos when Sir Toby gatecrashes it, and Maria gets caught in the middle of a ferocious argument. This promenade performance features the real Great Bed of Ware (part of the V&A collections), mentioned in Twelfth Night.
“Meet Malvolio who has been practising speeches all day for his tour of Lady Olivia's private collections but things very quickly start to go wrong once his guests arrive...”
Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa (SSF SA)
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The Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa is inspired by its UK predecessor. It brings together school children from around the country and offers them the opportunity to put on a production of one of the plays on the professional stage. The festival is an annual event that has been running since 2009.
Since the pilot in 2009, EduCape’ Shakespeare Schools Festival SA (SSF SA) has grown from 20 learners during the pilot performance to approximately 1500 youth across the country in the Western Provnce, Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape.
King Lear, Royal and Derogate
/Michael Pennington takes the lead in this touring production of King Lear. The play is proving particular popular this year, what with Michael Buffong's production in Manchester (with Don Warrington as Lear) and productions of the play lined up for the Old Vic theatres in London and Bristol (the former to star Glenda Jackson, and the latter Timothy West). This touring production is directed by Max Webster.
Read MoreHamlet, Victoria Theatre, Singapore
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Tan Hiep Phat’s (a beverage company) Hamlet was first staged in Vietnam in 2013. Last year, the resident company at the National Drama Theatre decided to bring the play back onto the Vietnamese stage. The 2016 production run in Singapore marks their international debut. Director of the Vietnam National Theatre, Nguyen The Vinh, envisages the production being the beginning of a "cooperation between the theatre and the private sector."
Read MoreRomeo & Juliet/Rebellion & Johannesburg
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This is a dance-theatre piece that subsumes the narrative of Romeo and Juliet into the urban street culture of Johannesburg. The production premiered in 2015 and enjoyed an international tour in Germany. Its ongoing success this year means it will likely tour again in the coming months.
Read MoreMeasure for Measure, Chicago
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In collaboration with London-based company Cheek by Jowl, the Pushkin Theatre troupe from Moscow performed their experimental Measure for Measure at the Shakespeare 400 Chicago festival. This politically-charged production premiered in Moscow during 2013 and has enjoyed great success ever since.
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