As soon as I read any Shakespeare production is looking to bring the piece into the modern age I think two things.
My first is simply; ‘great’, this sounds interesting, and attempting what has already been done with any of Shakespeare’s works is setting one’s self an incredibly high bar. The second however is a thought filled with fear that the end result will be filled with cringe-worthy references and awful jokes.
The Royal Lyceum’s rework of ‘The Winter’s Tale’ involved James Robertson re-writing sections of the play to add a Scottish ambience – and it got the mix between modern additions and the original work almost perfect. Almost.
The scenes set in Sicilia, which were updated to Edinburgh, were flawless – with simple sets and perfect lighting putting all of the focus on the character and dialogue; freeze frame asides and monologues capturing the essence of each character even as they fell to slow motion or stood static. A live band provided a soundtrack essential to put you right in the middle of the story.
My first is simply; ‘great’, this sounds interesting, and attempting what has already been done with any of Shakespeare’s works is setting one’s self an incredibly high bar. The second however is a thought filled with fear that the end result will be filled with cringe-worthy references and awful jokes.
The Royal Lyceum’s rework of ‘The Winter’s Tale’ involved James Robertson re-writing sections of the play to add a Scottish ambience – and it got the mix between modern additions and the original work almost perfect. Almost.
The scenes set in Sicilia, which were updated to Edinburgh, were flawless – with simple sets and perfect lighting putting all of the focus on the character and dialogue; freeze frame asides and monologues capturing the essence of each character even as they fell to slow motion or stood static. A live band provided a soundtrack essential to put you right in the middle of the story.
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