MacBain, Dood Paard

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MacBain, Dood Paard

“MacBeth and Kurt Cobain and Lady Macbeth and Courtney Love inspire a pitch-black comedy about unbridled ambition, hunger for power and an addiction to intoxication and ecstasy. A triptych of hilarious interviews with the pop stars, a freaky fast-forward puppet version of Macbeth which results in a merciless symbiosis of the grunge couple Cobain-Love and the Thanes of Cawdor. A crazy journey into the world of two seriously troubled people who are trying to escape from their mental prison, as their loneliness howls through the room and the attempts to reverse the inevitable end are heart-breaking.” --description from Fringe Programme

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Queen Lear, Ronnie Dorsey Productions

/ Assembly Roxy/

“No one will remember me; only killing makes history.' Enclosed in her chamber with her Confessor and her trusted Nurse, the Queen faces the ordeal of giving birth to the King's longed-for son and heir. Moving between reality and delirium, she fears for the survival of her child as she reveals the hidden story behind Lear and his ambitions. An intensely lyrical imagining of the untold story behind Lear's forgotten Queen. A powerful drama from Ronnie Dorsey, writer of A Fine Line and Of Sound Mind.” --description from AssemblyFestival.com  

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The Play's the Thing: Shakespeare for Kids

/ C South/

"Join us on a journey through Shakespeare's wonderful world. Meet William Shakespeare and many of his most fabulous characters. Lots of laughter and audience participation. "Highly recommended" (Primary Times). "Energetic, interactive." (FringeReview.co.uk)--description from Fringe Festival programme.

This fun 45 minute children's show took place in the gardens of the C South venue.

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Gratiano, Grist to the Mill

/ Spotlites/

“Bassanio has been murdered and, under suspicion, Gratiano is forced to revisit his Fascist past. He was never the hero – just a minor character, the plucky comic relief – but he never thought he played the villain.

In a challenging sequel to William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice we explore the politics of prejudice in the 20th Century.  Amongst the turmoil of post war Italy we read between the lines of Shakespeare's classic tale, examine the true nature of the characters, and ask just how Mussolini managed to use democracy to turn a people against themselves.” --description from company website 

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The Ruff Guide to Shakespeare, Take Thou That

/ Assembly George Square Gardens /

“The life, the times and every single play - all in just one hour! Specially created to mark the four hundredth anniversary of his death, The Ruff Guide to Shakespeare is a glorious celebration of the work of the world's greatest playwright. Expect silly sketches, toe-tapping songs, daft dance routines and extracts from all the famous and some less well-known plays. This show is the perfect introduction to Shakespeare and to the Tudor England that gave birth to his writing. Those familiar with Bristol Old Vic Theatre School's tours of Shakespeare to young audiences will recognise our trademark mix of crystal clear storytelling, live music and inventive staging, bringing new life and understanding to the beauty and power of Shakespeare's verse.”--description from company website.  
 

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Measure for Measure--Ireland 1916, Fortune's Fool Production

/ Dublin Castle/

An outdoor performance by a young and dynamic group who established a reputation for summer Shakespeare with previous years' performances in Dublin's Iveagh Gardens. Like Caroline Byrne's production of The Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare's Globe, this production moves the action of Measure for Measure to Ireland in 1916, where Angelo's crusade against sexual immorality pits him against the inhabitants of Dublin's Monto district, which was the largest red-light district in all of Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Shylock, Theatre Tours International

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Told from the perspective of Shylock's friend Tubal, 'Shylock' presents one of Shakespeare's most controversial characters in a fresh light.

“Villain, victim, or is Shylock someone more intriguing? Celebrating Bill-400, Guy Masterson returns with his extraordinary, multi-award winning examination of Shakespeare's controversial Jew in one of the most successful globally acclaimed shows of the last two decades!” (description from the Edinburgh Fringe Programme)

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Hamlet in Bed

/ Pleasance Courtyard/

Hamlet in Bed
Presented in English
Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, Scotland, as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
August 3-29, 2016     

“Noir thriller about sex, death, theatre and the world's most famous play. Direct from its hit off-Broadway season starring Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress Annette O'Toole.
"Provocative, intense, sexy!" (Hollywood Reporter).
"Electrifying" 5 stars (Time Out, NY Critics' Pick)” --description from Fringe Programme.

Richard Jordan Productions and Brian Long with Pleasance
Writer: Michael Laurence
Director: Lisa Peterson
Set Design: Rachel Hauck
Costumes: Jessica Pabst
Lighting: Scott Zielinski
Sound: Bart Fasbender

Cast:
Spencer Aste (Hamlet and Michael)
Annette O'Toole (Gertrude and Anna May Miller)
The roles of Hamlet /Michael are also played by Michael Laurence at selected performances.

This performance was previously put on in New York City in 2015.

Selected Reviews:
"Three Weeks review (5 stars): "A phenomenal take on Shakespeare’s play." http://www.threeweeksedinburgh.com/article/hamlet-in-bed-richard-jordan-productions-and-brian-long-productions/

Edinburgh Festivals Magazine review (5 Stars): "Hamlet in Bed shows insight into the lives of two lost people looking for acceptance with beautiful style."
http://www.edfestmag.com/hamlet-in-bed-2/

British Theatre Guide review (4 stars): "a beautifully acted play that will appeal to anyone in love with the Bard or New York theatricality."
http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/hamlet-in-bed-pleasance-court-13117

Edinburgh Guide review (4 stars): "a clever, innovative homage to the timeless, iconic role of Hamlet." http://www.edinburghguide.com/festival/2016/edinburghfringe/hamletinbedpleasancecourtyardreview-17231

WhatsOnStage review (3 stars): a "problematic study on aspects of Hamlet" http://www.whatsonstage.com/edinburgh-theatre/reviews/hamlet-in-bed-pleasance-courtyard-festival-fringe_41495.html

BroadwayBaby review (3 stars): "If you have an obsession with Hamlet that comes close to Michael’s, this is definitely a production for you. Otherwise... you might just regard the whole play as a ‘Freudian slip’."
http://broadwaybaby.com/shows/hamlet-in-bed/714939

Fest review (2 stars): "tells us more about the narcissism of Off-Broadway actors than about Shakespeare's characters"
https://www.festmag.co.uk/theatre/103623-hamlet-in-bed     

Shakin' Shakespeare, Captivate Theatre

/ Gilded Baloon at the Museum /

"Brave Macbeth, Cheer Up Hamlet, Romantic Romeo: three hugely entertaining, fast and smart adaptations. A hilarious formula to introduce Shakespeare's plots to young 'uns"--HuffingtonPost.co.uk; description from Fringe Festival programme

A new series of musicals inspired by Shakespeare's plays marking 400 years since the playwright's death.

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Shit-faced Shakespeare, Magnificent Bastard Productions

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“Shit-Faced Shakespeare is the deeply highbrow fusion of an entirely serious Shakespeare play with an entirely shit-faced cast member. Side-splitting, raucous and completely interactive, the show has been running since 2010 and has already entertained over 30,000 eager theatre goers across the UK. With a genuinely drunken professional actor selected at random every night, no two shows are ever the same and audiences can even dictate when the actor gets to drink more to prevent unwanted sobriety. Shit-Faced Shakespeare seeks to introduce a new generation of theatre-goers to the works of the Bard by reviving the raucous, interactive and vibrant nature of Elizabethan theatre with a very modern twist - reminding them as we go to always enjoy Shakespeare responsibly.” --description from company website

The play selected for the Shit-Faced treatment in 2016 was Measure for Measure.

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Romeo and Juliet Kunqu Opera         

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"From the Hunan Kunqu Opera Troupe comes Shakespeare’s most famous love story, Romeo and Juliet, told in the traditional Kunqu opera style. The beauty of 14th-century opera and the majesty of Shakespeare’s work collide in this visually stunning tale of two star-crossed lovers. Directed by China’s award-winning director, Wang Xiaoying, known for his critically acclaimed production of Richard III at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. (Guardian)."

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Henry VI Part III, The Barded Ladies

/ Windmill Hill City Farm/

The Barded Ladies revived one of Shakespeare's least-performed plays with a twist for the Bristol Shakespeare Festival - reimagining Queen Margaret as King Margaret and her adversaries Richard of York and Richard of Gloucester as bloodthirsty women. The production drew on contemporary political battles between men and women to explore the roles gender plays in politics and war.

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