Measure for Measure at The Marlowe

Measure for Measure holds an awkward place in Shakespeare’s canon. Full of lengthy soliloquies, reflections on life and death, fraught relationships, it also features the comedic tropes of mistaken identities and works its way towards a neat marriage ending. The bawdy jokes abound, but there’s also speeches that wouldn’t seem out of place in Hamlet.

Director Kimberley Sykes talks about her production of As You Like It

Director Kimberley Sykes talks about her production of As You Like It, which will be coming to The Marlowe Theatre in January as part of a season of exhilarating Shakespeare plays bursting with contemporary resonance. What has influenced your thinking around the production? I think a big thing which has influenced my thinking on the

Handlebards present Much Ado About Nothing

The thing about Shakespeare, is that everyone takes him so seriously. Are we being faithful to the text? Have we captured the context of the time? What exactly was he trying to say here? Angst and hours have been sweated over trying to read and perform the perfect Shakespeare play. But maybe we’re just meant

An interview with Canterbury Shakespeare Festival

Every year a merry band of players gather in Canterbury, Kent, to entertain and enthral audiences with a selection of Shakespeare plays. This year’s Canterbury Shakespeare Festival sees Hamlet, Mary Stuart, Timon of Athens, The Merry Wives of Windsor and King Lear being brought to the city stage, each directed and performed by local talent.

Hamlet – a play for today

You might think you know Shakespeare’s Hamlet inside out. In fact, you probably do. A play about political struggle, family dynamics and finding love, it remains as relevant as ever. As well as this, we experience Hamlet every day, as its words have entered our vocabulary as either mis quoted sayings (‘Alas, poor Yorick! I knew