TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

I never studied Shakespeare at school, at least I don't remember. What I do remember is finding my mum's 'Works of Shakespeare' book with it's very thin paper and reading through bits that intrigued . I did at one point remember the famous Hamlet quote 'To be or not to be...' the first 15 lines, but now, I only remember parts. Shakespeare isn't for everyone and back in the day it wasn't for me.

My first experience of Shakespeare, didn't go well!

My first ticket to see a Shakespeare play was when I turned 30 in 2003. Macbeth was playing at the Crucible in Sheffield. I'd a seat in the gods and looked down on the stage with just one door plonked in the centre and only 4 actors!. Never has a play been so confusing for someone who was interested in Shakespeare but only knew snippets. The three actors played everyone with Lady Macbeth played by one Actor. They didn't change clothes and they reappeared through the door as a different character. Enough to confuse anyone. Yes that particular play did put me off of going to see any other Shakespeare play at the Theatre.

I admit my next dabble with Shakespeare was The Merchant of Venice as a film, the one with Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons. I didn't realise '10 things I hate about you' is actually Taming of the Shrew and 'My own Private Idaho'  is loosely based around Henry 4th & 5th. It seems like I've seen more than I thought!

The Merchant of Venice

There's a pretty girl called Portia who's been left some Gold, Silver and Lead by her dead father, who states she will marry the suitor who chooses the box of goodies with her photo in. So men come from across the lands to gain her and the wealth. This one lad asks a friend to borrow money from a loan shark whom his friend has previously insulted regarding his high rates of interest just to go and woo Portia. And that's where it all goes belly up.

The actors were fantastic and I loved how Launcelot started heckling from his seat in the audience. Markram J.Khoudry who played Shylock (loan shark) was fantastic and oddly I felt mixed emotions from pity, shame and a feeling of 'you stick to your guns' for Shylock. Whilst I may not understand the language of Shakespeare fully I did understand the whole play. This play restored my faith and off I went to book a ticket for Othello a play I didn't know anything about.

OTHELLO

Othello is about a General (Othello) marrying Desdemona in secret and right royally pissing off (sorry) his left hand man Iago by promoting Cassio to lieutenant over him. Iago finds Roderigo a man who was hoping to be with Desdemona and plots his revenge against Othello.

I heard a lady comment in the interval, 'That was exhausting'!
When the play had finished a lady to whom I was sat next to said that it was "The best performance she had seen of Othello, surpassing the one she liked with Peter O'Toole performing". And, "casting a black person in the role of Lago was just genius!" I'm not sure why that was genius, but I thought Lucian Masamti was amazing as Lago? Hugh Quarshie (Casualty & Star Wars episode 1) was great too. I personally loved the rap off in the square just seconds before the brawl! Othello has become my favourite Shakespearean play. I was blown away!

Othello gets a wow. It was fantastic. We get to see so much more when they do a live broadcast, we see the emotion of the other characters waiting for their part and a better view of the entire stage.

I'm off to book a ticket for Hamlet now. If ever you fancied watching a theatre production, do it, get that ticket booked now! If it's by the RSC you will not regret it. Their sets are simplistic and fantastic. Their actors are amazing, I'm just sorry I couldn't mention everyone.